When Gavin Rossdale was asked to join the judging panel of the UK version of The Voice, the musician thought he was being pranked. Daisy Lowe's father has admitted that he was completely taken by surprise when show producers called to offer him the gig. "I thought I was being Punk'd!" said Gavin, referring to Ashton Kutcher's comedy show that pokes fun at celebrities.
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Gavin, who was speaking to The Guardian, may not have been an obvious choice for the ITV talent show. While he has shifted almost 20 million albums and captivated the US music industry, Gavin hasn't seen the same level of success on home soil. The British rock star added that he did see the irony in being asked to coach UK pop stars, when he's struggled to make an impact here. Laughing, the Bush musician admitted: "For sure."
The Voice UK judges: Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson, Gavin Rossdale and will.i.am
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Gavin joined the sixth series of The Voice UK in January. He currently sits on the panel alongside veteran judges will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones, who has appeared in all series apart from the fifth, and new female coach Jennifer Hudson. Ironically, Gavin's ex-wife Gwen Stefani, who filed for divorce from him in August 2015, judges the American version of the show.
When asked if he still talks to the No Doubt singer, Gavin, 51, replied: "She has a boyfriend and she's busy… but I wish her all the happiness in the world, and that's the true sign of love. As I'm sure your favourite artist Sting said: 'If you love someone, set them free.'" Gavin, who has three sons with Gwen, also reflected on his ex-wife's song This Is What The Truth Feels Like, which stemmed from their shock break-up.
Gwen Stefani filed for divorce from Gavin in 2015
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"You know, I did hear it the other day in an airport," he noted. "I walked through the airport and they had one of those little kiosks playing it and I heard the song about how she used to love me. So I stood in the store and listened to it from beginning to end going: 'Okaaaay.'" Overcome with emotion, Gavin added: "As a songwriter, I thought it was an interesting lyrical twist… it's a lot. Divorce is a lot."