Adam Levine has spoken out in response to the backlash that followed his decision to encourage viewers to save ‘The Voice’ finalist Reagan Strange, despite the fact she was too ill to perform at the weekend, which ended up with rival DeAndre Nico getting eliminated instead.

The dramatic incident happened on last week’s episode, when 14 year old Reagan Strange found herself in the bottom three and under threat of being voted off, alongside Nico and Dave Fenley. As such, they were allowed one last chance to perform and save themselves.

However, NBC host Carson Daly told audiences that they would still be able to vote for Strange, despite the fact that she was too ill to perform. Levine, therefore, was the coach and mentor for two of the three singers under threat.

Many fans were outraged at what the Maroon 5 singer said just before voting started, with many objecting that he disrespectfully threw one of his own contestants under the bus to save another, even though she hadn’t performed.

Adam LevineAdam Levine has addressed last week's 'The Voice' controversy

“This sucks, man. DeAndre, you’re an exquisite singer,” Levine said as Nico finished his version of John Legend’s ‘All of Me’.

“I’m a little confused as to why you’re in the bottom. That perplexes me. But I want to say this… There is an unbelievably talented little girl right now who is not able to fight for her position on this show. And you were fortunate enough tonight to be able to sing. And man, you sang like a champ.”

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“As much as I urge you all to vote for this man, because he should never have been in the bottom… I don’t know if I have the heart to not tell everyone right now,” he continued. “I have a very special relationship with Reagan. And I have two little girls at home. The thought of breaking her heart by not urging everyone to give this girl a shot to go and redeem herself next week would be too far beneath me.”

In the event, votes between Strange and Nico were incredibly close (reportedly 38% to 37%, according to the Washington Post) but Strange won out, and advanced to the semi-finals. She was eventually knocked out this week, leaving Levine as the only judge without any contestants for the four-artist final.

Nico himself was pretty perplexed. “I know she's a little kid but it's like, man, you could've put some words in for me at all. Like, something,” he tweeted soon afterwards.

However, a week later, Levine spoke out on the controversy, assuring that he and Nico had subsequently spoken and smoothed things over.

“It was a strange week, but it's over now. DeAndre's my boy,” Levine told Strange during Monday's show. “I love him. We talked. It's all good.”

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