Report: Adam Levine quit The Voice after ticking off his NBC bosses at upfronts and being "very difficult" on the show

TVLine

According to TVLine's Michael Ausiello, Levine didn't want to attend a pre-taping of The Voice last Sunday so that the stars of the show could attend the upfronts the next day in New York City. He also reportedly didn't like the format chanes to the show. "Levine’s attitude might have stemmed from resentment of a Season 16 rule change that didn’t guarantee that each coach went to the Live Playoffs with the same number of team members," says Ausiello. But it was Levine's appearance at last Monday's upfronts that, as one executive put it, "was essentially the straw that broke the camel’s back." Levine appeared to be checked out and didn't look like he wanted to be on stage. "Paul Telegdy was said to be particularly incensed," says Ausiello. "The co-chairman of NBC Entertainment witnessed Levine’s performance firsthand and, per multiple sources, was not happy with what he saw. One insider says the exec was 'embarrassed' and 'furious' that Levine exhibited such indifference in front of the very people (read: advertisers) who pay his $26-million annual salary." Telegdy even called for Levine's firing, according to a source, but quickly backed off. It's not clear, though, if Levine was pushed to quit the show. "But one thing is clear: Something changed between May 10, when NBC announced that Levine was returning for Season 17, and the morning of May 24, when his exit was announced by (Carson) Daly on the Today show," says Ausiello.