Gavin Rossdale’s boys are peeking at his texts to see if he has a girlfriend (he doesn’t)

Meet Gavin Rossdale, middle-aged single dad. He didn’t want it to turn out this way, he says. He feels a little self-conscious when his boys come over, because it’s just him, not a whole family unit. And the kids really wish he were dating someone, like Mommy is.

“I’m a realist and know that I’ve been reduced to three sentences: being in America, ex-husband of Gwen and seen with his kids a lot,” the new “The Voice UK” judge told the Sun’s Fabulous magazine in an interview published Sunday.

Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, of course, split up in August 2015 after nearly 13 years of marriage and 20 years as a couple. At the time, though they presented the breakup as amicable, rumors about why they parted ways were not in short supply. Does Rossdale wish he’d behaved different? “I mean, obviously,” he said, in his first major sit-down since the breakup. “I know we all wish that, but we can’t, so I have to deal with reality.”

Such a pain, reality. A divorce “was completely opposite to what I wanted. Really not ...,” the Bush frontman said with a sigh. “But here we are.”

Rossdale’s “here” includes a home in Studio City where Kingston, 10, Zuma, 8, and Apollo, nearly 3, get “a bit feral” in their dad’s company. “Like jumping off the balcony on to the big white sofa, flying around with Nerf guns and having pillow fights,” the 51-year-old said.

“They want me to get a girlfriend and examine me if a name pops up on a text,” he said, laughing. “I think Kingston is going to be [a detective] when he grows up.”

Don’t expect to be swiping past Rossdale on Bumble any time soon. He said he has so many things going on, dating is “not a factor right now.”

C’mon, Gavin — do it for the children?

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