Blake Shelton ‘Upset’ & ‘Didn’t Expect’ Adam Levine To Quit ‘The Voice’

Blake Shelton is speaking out about Adam Levine’s pretty surprising decision to quit The Voice after 16 seasons last month, despite NBC already confirming that he would be part of the lineup for Season 17 set to debut this September. Blake opened up about his fellow coach’s sudden departure in a new interview released this week, admitting that he was “pretty upset” by Adam’s decision and never expected him to leave the show in the sudden way he did.

“I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect Adam to pull the trigger like he did,” Shelton recently told Extra when asked about seeing Levine turn his back on his red spinning chair after sitting alongside him for eight years. He also admitted that he had a feeling the Maroon 5 frontman’s time on the show was coming to an end.

“We all knew he was getting to the point,” the “God’s Country” singer then admitted, “it was 16 seasons he had been doing the show, and it’s hard to keep him focused on anything. He was ready to move on.”

However, the country star admitted that his replacement did make things a little easier, as it was revealed that Blake’s long-time girlfriend, Gwen Stefani, would be heading back for Season 17.

Adding that he was “was pretty upset that Adam was gone,” Shelton confessed that having Stefani back by his side did “soften the blow.”

However, fans of The Voice probably shouldn’t expect any of the frenemy banter between the two that Blake used to share with Adam, as he confessed, “I can’t go head-to-head with Gwen like that.”

The musician’s latest confessions about Adam quitting the show earlier this year after eight years and 16 consecutive seasons come shortly after he also opened up about the big change-up on the singing show in a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this week.

While speaking to the outlet about his friend and co-star, the Oklahoma native admitted that he wasn’t happy about Levine leaving but knows that he’s feeling good about his choice to call time in his red chair.

“Without Adam there, it was — I don’t know, I knew it was gonna be hard for me. We just have that thing that’s just so comfortable,” Shelton told the outlet, The Inquisitr previously reported, adding that he now “can’t imagine” what it’s going to be like without the “Moves Like Jagger” singer by his side.

“I know he’s happy with his decision,” Blake reiterated, adding, “Doesn’t mean I am, or any of us [are happy].”

In the wake of Levine’s departure, The Voice Season 17’s coaching panel will now be made up of Blake, Gwen, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend, with new episodes of the singing competition set to debut on NBC on September 23.