Blake Shelton Demands This Food on ‘The Voice’ Set and Everyone Has to Eat It
Blake Shelton has spent 12 years and 23 seasons on The Voice. He is now the last remaining original coach on the show. That comes with some perks, including the ability to get pretty much whatever he wants on set. According to longtime The Voice host and Shelton’s close pal, Carson Daly, there’s one food the cowboy demands 24/7: calamari. Here’s why, plus Shelton’s other craft services requests and his drink of choice on The Voice. (Hint: It’s not water or coffee.)
Carson Daly says Blake Shelton always asks for calamari on ‘The Voice’ set
In a recent The Voice outtakes video, seen below, Daly revealed that Shelton’s “rider list” — or the list of demands artists have for backstage — has always included calamari as a top priority. Apparently, Shelton eats the squid dish on set all the time, and his castmates often have to eat it too.
“We’ve all had to suffer. It’s not like it’s in your trailer,” Daly told Shelton. “It’s the food that we must all consume now.”
So, why is Shelton so obsessed with calamari? He explained that the first time he ever heard of calamari was when he and his senior prom date drove to an Olive Garden in Oklahoma City. People said calamari was “fancy,” so he knew it had to be a craft services request when he became famous.
“In my mind, still now 100 years later, it’s like, ‘How can I really indulge? How can I really make these people pay for having me here at this hour?'” Shelton said. “I’m gonna demand calamari. They’ll never be able to find that.”
Unfortunately, not everyone has loved calamari as much as Shelton. Daly added that he got so “fed up” because The Voice had “the worst calamari in Los Angeles.” He eventually found a restaurant with better calamari, though.
Shelton’s other craft services requests have included crunchy snacks, coffee, and beer
Shelton’s rider list doesn’t only include calamari. According to a 2012 report from Business Insider, the country legend has requested snacks like beef jerky, barbecue Lays, Cheetos, Hershey’s chocolate mints, and gum. He also enjoys Dunkin’ and Starbucks coffee. Finally, Shelton asks for rum, Bud Light, Miller Lite, and red wine.
In a 2016 interview with Extra TV, Daly, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, and Christina Aguilera all agreed that Shelton spends the most time at the craft services table.
“I’m always digging into the licorice and the cookies. Look at me, I mean, there’s a reason,” Shelton joked.
Blake Shelton’s cup on ‘The Voice’ isn’t filled with water or coffee
Longtime fans of The Voice know that Shelton always has a black tumbler in his chair. But what’s in the cup? Fans asked for years, and in a 2019 Twitter video, he finally shared his go-to drink: ice, a heavy pour of Smithworks vodka, and Sprite.
Of course, he’s never been shy about drinking vodka on set. In 2014, Shelton told Entertainment Tonight that he’ll always have the liquor in his cup.
“I have vodka. I drink vodka on the show,” he said. “Now that I think of it, every d*** brand of vodka has been in that cup. And I don’t care if you like it or if anybody likes it, that’s what I drink so get over it.”
Fans of Blake Shelton can continue to see him in his final season of The Voice when new episodes air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Next-day streaming is also available on Peacock.
