Adam Levine is leaving The Voice after 16 seasons.
Carson Daly, host of the U.S. edition of the singing competition show, shared the news on Friday’s episode of Today.
“Adam was one of the original coaches that launched the show, winning the competition three times and inspiring many of the artists that he worked so closely with over the years,” said Daly. “He’ll always be a cherished member of the Voice family and, of course, we wish him nothing but the best.”
The announcement is a surprise given that The Voice tweeted a photo of Levine and fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and John Legend and wrote: "A group of Coaches so good we need an encore. This iconic squad is returning to #TheVoice next season." Levine retweeted it.
Friday afternoon, Levine posted a message on Instagram. "I am truly honored to have been a part of something I’ll always cherish for the rest of my life," he wrote. "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.
"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."
Shelton, the only remaining original coach, tweeted Friday: "I only found out about this yesterday and it hasn’t set in on me yet. Gonna miss working with that idiot."
Clarkson tweeted: "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."
Shelton's girlfriend, pop star Gwen Stefani, will return to The Voice to replace Levine in Season 17.
Levine coached winners Javier Colon (Season 1), Tessanne Chin (Season 5) and Jordan Smith (Season 9).
This article has been updated since it was first published.