Blake Shelton wishes Gwen Stefani romance could have remained private

Country singer Blake Shelton decided to be open about his relationship with Gwen Stefani after realising there was no way of keeping it under wraps.

The 39-year-old started dating the No Doubt front woman late last year (15) just months after his divorce from wife Miranda Lambert and Gwen's split from husband Gavin Rossdale.

The Voice co-stars tried to keep their budding romance private, but to no avail, and now Blake has opened up about how he decided to handle the situation.

"At the time, when you go through what I went through with my divorce, you never know when it's the right time to step out and say I've started seeing someone," he explained to Country Countdown USA. "But what I found out, because it wasn't someone from my hometown, it was Gwen Stefani that I was beginning to have this relationship with. There was no hiding it. If I glance her way, it's the cover of magazines. If I could have kept my personal life private, I would have. Since I can't, I might as well let people in on the truth."

Since stepping out in public together, Blake and Gwen have recorded a duet, Go Ahead and Break My Heart, with Blake adding how the end of their marriages and both having "some trust issues" is what helped them bond and produce the track.

"Of all the people, she was the last person I expected to step out of the crowd and be the one to have my back, and be there and be the shoulder and be the one to fight that fight with me, getting back on my feet, and out of nowhere, there she was," he gushed.

However Blake admits he almost ended up in the dog house with his 46-year-old girlfriend after failing to realise just how many hit songs she has had.

"One day I was driving down the road and The Sweet Escape came on and Gwen was in the car with me and the intro started and I was like, 'What is this? I know this song. I love this song,'" he recalled with a laugh, "and she said, 'That's... that's my song!'"