Catfish's Max Joseph Leaving MTV Show After 7 Seasons

Max Joseph is leaving Catfish and will no longer act as Nev Schulman‘s co-host.

The 36-year-old – who has been with the show for seven seasons since the beginning – will leave to pursue his film making full time.

“Hey guys, the time has come, sadly, for me to move on from Catfish. Working on this show for the last seven years has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my country and human nature in general. Nev and I have become brothers and our bromance has blossomed before your eyes,” Max said in a statement (via E! News). “For a while now I have been straddling two careers as TV host and filmmaker and, while this level of busy-ness is a dream come true, my life can no longer sustain it. With Ma still going strong after 7 seasons, 115 episodes, 31 specials and showing no sign of slowing down, I feel it is finally the time for me to make my exit.”

“Although I have a heavy heart, I am also excited for everything that’s to come for myself, for Nev, for our crew and for the show. Thank you for watching, thank you for the love and for the memes,” he finished.

Click inside to read Nev’s statement…

Nev released his own statement, saying, “Working with Max on Catfish has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. What started as a casual friendship quickly turned into a brotherhood. Thanks to Max, over the last six years I’ve learned as much about the internet and society as I have about myself. Max isn’t just a co-host, he’s a partner. His ability to listen, empathize and advise is astounding. Nobody cuts through the noise and dishes the hard truth better than he does. I’m going to miss him a lot.”

He added, “He’s my best friend and one of the best colleagues anyone could hope for. As sad as I am though that Max is leaving the show, it brings me great joy to know that he is following his heart. While selfishly I’d love to keep him all to myself, I know that unleashing the creativity and passion that he has will benefit so many of us. If you don’t already know about Max’s amazing work as a filmmaker, check out his website maxjoseph.com. Good luck, my friend, and there’s really no excuse why you can’t video chat in from time to time ;)”

Max‘s last episode airs on August 22 on MTV.