‘The Voice’ Fans Want Adam Levine to Step Down After Season 15 Controversy

Adam Levine may be ending Season 15 of The Voice without a singer in the finale, but fans of the NBC singing show think the coach should be off the show for good following a Team Adam controversy earlier in the season.

Fans’ outrage surrounds the elimination of Levine’s singer DeAndre Nico prior to the top eight semi-finalists earlier this month, after the Maroon 5 judge asked viewers to vote for his other team member, 14-year-old Reagan Strange, who was unable to sing in a portion of the week’s competition due to illness.

Following his elimination, Nico told local news outlet 12NewsNow, “It was just weird because I just felt like, not being rude, I just felt like he sold me out, you know? And I just don’t respect it, just being honest. We did our job, sick or not. I just got over laryngitis, and when I came back, I still sang. It wasn’t none of that anxiety or none of that stuff. I know she’s a little kid, but it’s like man, you could have put in some words for me at all. Like something, something.”

Fans were quick to jump on Nico’s side, claiming Levine was playing favorites. And while the coach addressed the controversy in passing, saying, “It was a strange week, but it’s over now,” and “DeAndre’s my boy. I love him. We talked,” many didn’t think it was enough to redeem the longstanding coach.

So when Strange didn’t make it through to the final four competing in this week’s finale, many viewers took to Twitter to celebrate what they saw as karma catching up to Levine.

“Do y’all think it’s poetic justice that Adam Levine is a spectator for #VoiceFinale? Is it his fault or just the way the cookie crumbled??” one fan wrote.

Another added, “I’ve been boycotting The Voice but I’m watching the finals tonight. Is anyone surprised that Adam Levine has no one in the finals? You think that indicates that he’s not a good coach? Just sayin’…”

Others seemed to think that Levine needed to make his exit from the reality show.

“I still think, even after all the drama has passed, that Adam should leave The Voice,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “The sour taste still hasn’t gone away. A great replacement would be Keith Urban—if we could ever get him off tour.”

Another added, “Adam is despicable and needs to leave the show. Too late for graciously.”

It doesn’t look like they’ll be getting their wish however, with NBC announcing that Season 16 of The Voice will be returning on Feb. 25, featuring Levine, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton as coaches.

Photo credit: NBC