NEW YORK >> Adam Levine is leaving NBC’s “The Voice” after 16 seasons.

Carson Daly made the announcement this morning on the “Today” show. Daly said Gwen Stefani will return for season 17 in Levine’s chair.

The Maroon 5 frontman wrote a lengthy Instagram post today, saying the Emmy-winning show “went on to be a life shaping experience that will be close to my heart forever.”

Levine was part of the original lineup of “The Voice” when it launched in 2011, along with Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and CeeLo Green. Aguilera and Green have taken breaks from the show, allowing stars like Pharrell Williams, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend to sit in their chairs. Shelton has never left the show.

It was not clear if Levine was leaving the show for good. Representatives for the singer and NBC didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment from The Associated Press.

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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. ❤️ 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 FUCKIN’ 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. ❤️ Adam

A post shared by Adam Levine (@adamlevine) on May 24, 2019 at 8:12am PDT