Adam Levine has revisited the first meeting that helped launch his long-running friendship and rivalry with Blake Shelton, recalling that the two musicians met before The Voice premiered in 2011. Levine told the story during a pre-season roundtable connected to the upcoming 30th season of NBC’s singing competition.
The roundtable brought together the Season 30 coaching panel: returning Coaches Levine and Kelly Clarkson, alongside newcomers Riley Green and Queen Latifah. The discussion was designed to introduce the four stars to viewers ahead of the new season, while also giving them an opportunity to talk about their musical interests and experiences connected to the show.
Levine said his first encounter with Shelton took place at an NBC meeting before production began on the first season. He remembered sitting with Shelton and several other people, then immediately asking who the country singer was after the gathering ended. When he learned that Shelton would be his co-star, Levine said he was surprised and impressed by the revelation.
That early encounter developed into a friendship shaped by years of playful competition on The Voice. According to NBC’s account, the pair often teased one another and traded jokes, creating a relationship that could be characterized as a friendly “frenemies” dynamic. Their exchanges became part of the wider personality of the coaching panel, with the two regularly using humor to challenge each other.
Levine has continued that teasing even when Shelton was not sitting in a Coach chair. During a 2025 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Levine joked about having to use Shelton’s former oversized chair during Seasons 27 and 29. He described the chair as worn and sunken, adding a humorous complaint about its smell and condition. The comments were presented as another example of the lighthearted back-and-forth between the two former colleagues.
The pair’s jokes have also extended beyond their time on the set. NBC noted that Shelton once gave Levine’s wife, Behati Prinsloo, a pet pig that ultimately grew to 400 pounds, an incident Levine reportedly found less amusing. The story adds another detail to the playful history between the musicians, whose competition has frequently been balanced by an evident personal bond.
NBC has confirmed that The Voice Season 30 will premiere Monday, September 21, at 8 p.m. ET, with the launch scheduled as a three-night premiere. The new episodes will air on NBC and become available to stream on Peacock the following day. Season 30 will feature Levine, Clarkson, Green and Queen Latifah in the show’s familiar red Coach chairs.
Fans can also stream selected material from Season 29 on Peacock, including performances from winner Alexia Jayy, runner-up Liv Ciara and finalists Mikenley Brown and Lucas West. NBC has promoted the earlier season’s emotional performances, high notes, humorous moments and behind-the-scenes content as part of its programming around the competition’s return.
