Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's engagement caught fans by surprise when they announced their happy news on Tuesday (Oct. 27), but at least a few people reportedly knew what was happening ahead of time — specifically, Stefani's three sons.

According to Entertainment Tonight, 14-year-old Kingston, 12-year-old Zuma and 6-year-old Apollo — Stefani's children with her ex-husband, rocker Gavin Rossdale — were involved in Shelton's proposal plans "every step of the way." A source says the country star and the kids have become close in the five years that he's been dating their mother, and "[t]hey talked it through and Blake made sure they were part of the excitement!"

You Have to See Blake Shelton Holding Gwen Stefani's Boys:

In July, Shelton opened up about acting as a role model to Kingston, Zuma and Apollo, all of whom had been quarantining with Shelton and Stefani on Shelton's Oklahoma farm during the early days of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"It's one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy," Shelton said at the time, "but you do have to consider after a while that they start to listen to things that you say, and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that. Which is new to me."

Per ET's source, Stefani's father also knew Shelton was planning to propose, as Shelton asked for his blessing before he did so. "Gwen is very traditional, so he truly felt that asking her father for approval was the proper thing to do. And her father adores Blake," the insider says.

Shelton and Stefani's engagement follows years of speculation about the longtime couple's relationship status. The two artists — Stefani, of course, is a solo pop star and the lead singer of No Doubt — first met on the set of The Voice, bonded over their divorces and began dating in 2015.

This marriage will be the third for Shelton, after a four-year marriage to singer Miranda Lambert and a three-year union to Kaynette Williams. It will be Stefani's second marriage, after 14 years married Rossdale.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton: A Timeline of Their Love

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