A walk down memory lane. Adam Levine certainly made his mark as an original coach on The Voice, sticking around for 16 seasons before his departure was announced on Friday, May 24.
The Maroon 5 frontman, 40, started out the NBC reality series alongside Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green. Levine took home the top prize in season 1, with his team member Javier Colon crowned as the winner. He went on to coach season 5’s Tessanne Chin and season 9’s Jordan Smith to victory.
However, his journey came to an end when host Carson Daly revealed during the Friday episode of the Today show that Levine would not return for season 17. The “Girls Like You” crooner broke his silence on the exit hours later. “We had no idea what we were doing or where it was going,” he wrote via Instagram of his beginning on the show. “After the first day of shooting, I sat there, stunned. I said to myself, ‘There’s some magic here. Something is definitely happening.’ It went on to be a life shaping experience that will be close to my heart forever.”
After giving personal shout-outs to his fellow coaches, Levine promised, “I’m sure I’ll be back to say hi very very soon.”
His love-hate relationship with Shelton, 42, kept fans entertained over the years, though the ruse seemed to be all in good fun. “Having a hard time wrapping my head around @adamlevine not being at @NBCTheVoice anymore,” the country singer tweeted on Friday. “After 16 seasons that changed both of our lives. I only found out about this yesterday and it hasn’t set in on me yet. Gonna miss working with that idiot.”
A source told Us Weekly exclusively that “Adam’s decision was a difficult one for him” and “had nothing to do with backlash.” Another insider noted that he disliked the show for multiple seasons because of the format and America’s preference for country music.
Watch the video above to relive Levine’s most memorable moments on The Voice, from the Reagan Strange controversy to his banter with Shelton!
