"The Voice" has been a major hit with fans for 10 seasons. This season is off to a rough start, however and social media is full of reason why.
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton took their romance public about a year and a half ago. This is the first season since that they have both been on the panel of judges together. While many fans were looking forward to seeing the two interact and banter as the judges always do, the two have managed to take it a bit too far.
How bad were the ratings?
The two-night premiere aired on February 27th and February 28th.
The second night of the premiere event, viewers dropped by almost 2 million! This drop was after the first night had already come in with less viewers than last year's season premiere.
Fans on social media are chiming in on the problem with "The Voice". The amount of focus given to Blake and Gwen's relationship overshadowed what the show is supposed to be about. She referred to him as her boyfriend and told a contestant she had connections in the country music industry through her relationship with Blake. Fan posts showed that they felt the PDA between the couple took away from the show and made them change the channel.
Even long-time judge Adam Levine asked Blake at one point if he was alright because he had never seen him act that way before.
Jokes were made about Blake having to sleep on the couch over the contestants the two were attempting to recruit to their teams.
While everyone enjoys a love story, "The Voice" isn't a matchmaking show. The solid fan base has been built on the talents of the aspiring artists. That is what viewers want to tune in for this season as in seasons past.
Can the producers turn it around?
It is early on in the season and plenty of time to get back on track. While the personalities of the judges is a big part of the show, their love life isn't. If Blake and Gwen can hold back a bit, maintain a degree of professionalism and privacy, the viewers should come back. The show is a hit for a reason, afterall.
