The Boot (April 4th 2012)

Blake Shelton ready to return to ‘Wasted’ ways

Blake Shelton says since he didn't win Entertainer of the Year Sunday night at the ACM Awards, he's ready to return to some of his old habits.

"I'm longing for the days when I was out in the audience drinking my face off," the country star, who co-hosted the ACMs with Reba, said backstage.

Blake lost the top trophy to Taylor Swift. He admits disappointment, though -- pardon the cliché -- he was honored just to be nominated. Plus, he admits the 'Mean' singer was the hard-earned frontrunner.

"I hoped I would win, but Taylor deserves it. She truly does," Blake admitted, despite having teased the young star unmercifully during the awards show. "I don't think there's anybody with half a brain who would stand up here and say otherwise ... But I'm always going to make fun of her in my monologues, so she might as well get used to that."

Blake continued his tongue-in-cheek commentary on going back to his wilder days. "I'm trying to get fired (as co-host of the ACMs)," he joked. "I don't see how Reba does it year after year, because at some point you gotta be a wasteoid. That's what people expect of musicians, celebrities and stars. I'm ready to step back into that role of being wasted all the time."

It's a good thing Blake is joking about going back to his old habits. The teenager who came to Nashville at the urging of the late songwriter Mae Boren Axton with dreams of being a superstar has achieved that status and more. The new ACM Male Vocalist of the Year and judge on 'The Voice' is now a household name with multi-platinum sales and a sea of fans. Plus, Blake and Miranda Lambert are nearing their first wedding anniversary, and we have a feeling she won't let him completely return to his 'wasteoid' ways.