Fans of The Voice got some sad news this week when Adam Levine, who has been a coach on the show for 16 seasons since the show started, announced that he would be leaving the singing competition.
Levine has coached three contestants to winning the show: Javier Colon in season one, Tessanne Chin in season five, and Jordan Smith in season 9. The Maroon 5 frontman posted about his decision on Instagram in a lengthy post.
About 8 years ago, Mark Burnett convinced us to sign up for this show where you sit in a big red chair with your back turned away from the singers on the stage. First thank you must go to Mark. â¤ï¸ We had no idea what we were doing or where it was going. After the first day of shooting, I sat there, stunned. I said to myself "theres some magic here. Something is definitely happening." It went on to be a life shaping experience that will be close to my heart forever.Thank you NBC for signing me up. I am truly honored to have been a part of something I'll always cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you to every single coach I ever sat in those chairs with. That is shared experience that is singularly ours. We have that for life.
Thank you to everyone who supported this long strange and amazing left turn into a place I never thought I'd go. Thank you Carson Daly for babysitting the musicians and making sure our shoes were tied and we had our lunch boxes. You are the backbone of this thing and we appreciate you more than you know.
Audrey, thank you for being perhaps the most patient person in all the free world. 4 musicians all at once is a lot. Sainthood is imminent. Thank you to Paul Mirkovich and the band for their ridiculously hard work and learning more songs than maybe any band ever. 😂Thank you to the people behind the scenes who do the real work and make this machine hum. To the amazingly talented vocalists who competed on the show and blew my mind on a daily basis.
And, BLAKE F[***]IN' SHELTON. I couldn't hide my love for you if I tried. Seriously. I tried. Can't do it. Our friendship is and always will be one for the books. Whatever this whole surreal experience was, Im just happy I got to experience it with you. You're my brother for life.
Kelly and John, take care of the cowboy and I'm sure I'll be back to say hi very very soon. So much love to you both. And lastly, to all of the loyal voice fans, there's literally no show without you guys. For me, it was time to move on.
Your support has meant EVERYTHING. And Lastly, I'd like to thank my manager Jordan for convincing me to take that meeting. 😊 What an amazing ride. Thank you all so much. â¤ï¸Adam
Some of Levine's fellow coaches posted words of encouragement for the father of two/
"Found out last night about @adamlevine leaving The Voice & while I get that he's been doing the show 4 a while & wants to step away, it will be weird showing up 4 work & he's not there," Kelly Clarkson wrote. "To start an amazing show from the ground up is a big deal!"
"Having a hard time wrapping my head around @adamlevine not being at @NBCTheVoice anymore," Blake Shelton, another original coach, wrote. "After 16 seasons that changed both of ours lives. I only found out about this yesterday and it hasn't set in on me yet. Gonna miss working with that idiot."
"There will never," Jennifer Hudson wrote. "Be another you that's for sure ! You are madly loved and truly missed ! Love u Adam!"
"He'll always be a cherished member of The Voice family," host Carson Daly said. Daly praised Levine for "inspiring many of the artists who he worked so closely with over the years. Of course, we wish him nothing but the best."
Now the big question, of course, is who will end up replacing Levine on the judging panel. The official Twitter account of The Voice posted about the departure of Levine, and also announced who will be replacing him.
"Our friend and coach Adam Levine made the decision not to return next season. We're going to miss Adam, but The Voice is family and with family it's "˜see you soon,' never "˜goodbye.' Gwen Stefani returns with Kelly, John, and Blake on The Voice stage this fall. Join us in welcoming back Gwen, and sharing our heartfelt gratitude to Adam!"
Gwen Stefani coming back is a little controversial, especially with her boyfriend Blake Shelton being on the show. In the past, people have complained about the two of them taking over the show with their relationship. I guess only time will tell whether this decision will be a good one for next season. The panel will be John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and Gwen Stefani.