Catfish Exit: Max Joseph Is 'Moving On' From The MTV Series

Max Joseph is "moving on" from Catfish.


The co-host -- who has appeared alongside Nev Schulman since the series premiered in 2012 -- posted a message on his social accounts about his "exit."


"Hey guys, the time has come, sadly, for me to move on from Catfish," he starts. "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 nation and human nature overall. Nev and I have become brothers, and our bromance has blossomed before your eyes.


"For a while right 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 preserve it. With Catfish still going strong soon after 7 seasons, 115 episodes, 31 specials and showing no sign of slowing down, I feel it is finally the time for me to prepare my exit.


however 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 passion, for the memes. Don’t be a stranger. You know where to find me. It really was a fucking blast and I am eternally grateful for every second of it. Ps, my final episode will air on 8/22."


Nev also reacted to his "grey-haired friend's" departure.


"Working with Max on Catfish has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life," he shared. "What began as a casual friendship speedily turned into a brotherhood. Thanks to Max, over the last six years I've learned as much about the world wide web and society as I have about myself. Max isn't just co-host, he is a partner. His ability to listen, empathize and advise is astounding. Nobody cuts via noise and dishes the hard truth better than he does. I'm going to miss him a lot. He's my best friend and one of the greatest colleagues anyone could hope for. As sad as I am though that Max is leaving the show, it brings me wonderful 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 several of us," Nev added. "If you don't already know about Max's astonishing 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 ;)"


reside with MTV News as we honor Max's Catfish legacy, and don't miss a brand-new episode tonight at 9/8c.