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Adam Levine Has an Affectionate (But NSFW) Nickname for Bestie Blake Shelton

There's no bromance quite like this one that formed while the two stars were Coaches of The Voice.

By Chris Phelan

Who's in the mood for a wonderful trip down memory lane?

How to Watch

Watch The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Adam Levine is gearing up for his highly-anticipated return to The Voice in 2025, but until then, he's decided to give fans a fantastic behind-the-scenes glimpse back in time — to a Season 1 afterparty to be exact. In an October 21 Instagram post, Levine shared a photo of himself and bestie Blake Shelton alongside a caption that revealed an affectionate, yet NSFW, nickname for his pal.

(To be more specific, it's really just an adorable picture of Shelton planting a wet one on a beaming Levine.)

"The Voice season 1 after party, at my house with dipshit @blakeshelton ❤️❤️❤️❤️," Levine said, taking us back the friendly rivalry of their shared Voice Coaching days. 

The photo is from 2011, with Levine and Shelton around the ages of 32 and 35.

Fans in the comment section quickly pointed out how amazingly fresh-faced Levine looks in the photo, with one person commenting, "Oh wow, look at that baby face 👼🏻" — a sentiment we agree with 100%!

With Season 26 of The Voice currently underway and Season 27 just around the corner, Season 1 seems like it was a thousand years ago — still, that makes fans all the more excited to see Levine return in 2025.

How Adam Levine and Blake Shelton became such good friends

The Voice's Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell and Gwen Stefani

Believe it or not, the friendship between these two stars began to develop after competing on The Voice. What started as a professional game of one-upmanship, blossomed into a genuine friendship that is still going strong today. While the two men are known for throwing potshots at each other in public — it's all just part of their wholly unique friendship dynamic.

In a 2017 interview with The Tennessean, Shelton spoke about the famous friendship that was born out of some good, old-fashioned competition on The Voice.

"We are constantly at each other's throats, and sometimes we really do get mad at each other," Shelton explained. "We're those two guys you knew in high school where we have this bond that is unexplainable. It brings out the best and worst in both of us. It truly is an explosive relationship. And I know every trick to get under his skin."

While the two men enjoy taking jabs at each other to varying degrees, they have always been there for each other when the cameras aren't rolling.

"I've stayed at the man's house with him," Shelton said. "He's one of the best friends that I have, but I still want to kill him sometimes."