While Adam Levine simply stated that it was "time to move on" when announcing his shocking decision to leave The Voice after 16 seasons on Friday, TVLine reports that NBC executives were "furious" with the Maroon 5 frontman over his attitude this past season.
The trouble seemed to start with a rule change that saw the intra-team knockout rounds replaced by cross battles between teams, a format that ultimately left Levine with no singers by the semifinals. By the time he delivered an incredibly lackluster vocal performance in front of his NBC bosses at the network's recent Upfront showcase, he'd been "checked out for awhile."
But according to an NBC insider, the Upfront performance "was a new low" and "the straw that broke the camel's back."
Another insider adds that NBC Entertainment co-chairman Paul Telegy was particularly "embarrassed" and "furious" that Levine would perform so listlessly in front of the very people who paid his $26 million annual salary.