“The Voice” revealed earlier this year that longtime coach Kelly Clarkson would not be returning for the new season. Now, Clarkson is opening up about her decision to leave the reality competition show.
Why did Kelly Clarkson leave ‘The Voice’?
Before “The Voice” announced that Clarkson wouldn’t return to the show for the fall 2022 season, the inaugural “American Idol” winner had been alluding to some major life changes.
“I’ve decided this year there’s just (going to) be a couple of changes for me that I can’t say here,” she said earlier this year, per Yahoo. “I’ve been able to make more time just for me and my kiddos and still be able to work. Just where we can get away on weekends and really do some fun stuff with my kids.
“They only want to hang out with you for so long and that’s now, so I got to take advantage of that,” she added.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Clarkson shared that she spent the entire summer with her 8-year-old daughter, River, and 6-year-old son, Remington, on her ranch in Montana — her first summer away from work since she was 16.
It was a time when she’s typically busy filming “The Voice” and moving forward on other projects, but her divorce from music manager Brandon Blackstock was finalized earlier this year, and Clarkson said she needed the time off.
“Especially when all the feelings are happening, I’m like, ‘Oh, let’s be as busy a bee as we can, so I don’t have to feel this for a minute!’” she told Variety. “I do that, which is not healthy. I was like, ‘I just need to keep swimming like Dory, and then I’ll get there.’ That’s why taking this summer was so important to me, even though a lot of people were kind of bummed because I was supposed to do a couple of things. Obviously, I stepped down on ‘The Voice’ this season, because I just needed the space.”
But the break made room for creativity, Clarkson said. She started thinking about her next album — her first in five years — which she said she’ll release in 2023.
“This is an important album,” she told Variety. “I’m working on this in therapy: I have a hard time vocalizing what I’m feeling sometimes, so music is helpful for me. It’s just been really healing.
“Some of the songs, they definitely cover the gamut of emotions; there’s everything on the album,” she continued. “It’s almost like the arc of a relationship, because the beginning is so beautiful and so sweet, and then it evolves. And sometimes it doesn’t evolve how you want.”
After recharging over the summer, Clarkson is focusing her efforts on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” which in its fourth season has now been given the coveted time slot previously held by Ellen DeGeneres, per Variety. Throughout the season, the show will feature a wide range of guests — everyone from Hillary Clinton to first lady Jill Biden to Clarkson’s fellow “Voice” coaches Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani.
Clarkson is also scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sept. 19 — the day the new season of “The Voice” premieres, according to walkoffame.com.
Will Kelly Clarkson return to ‘The Voice’?
Clarkson first joined “The Voice” in 2014, and won four times — including the most recent season that saw the sibling trio Girl Named Tom claim the victory, per Deadline. Coaches on “The Voice” have cycled in and out over the years. Gwen Stefani and Nick Jonas have traded spots on the show, and Ariana Grande came in for Season 21 and is not returning this fall.
Singer-songwriter Camila Cabello is replacing Clarkson as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Voice,” the Deseret News reported.
Over the years, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus have also been coaches, according to the reality competition site Gold Derby. Shelton is the only remaining original coach on “The Voice.”
Clarkson told Variety there’s a good chance she’ll return to the show.
“I definitely … um, I probably will be back at ‘The Voice’ at some point,” she said with a laugh. “I might be back at ‘The Voice.’”
THE VOICE -- "Live Finale" Episode 2119B -- Pictured: Kelly Clarkson -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
From the moment Kelly Clarkson joined The Voice cast in season 14, Clarkson has been a fan favorite bringing a whole new group of fans to the long-running series. After joining the show, Clarkson became a staple in the show’s coach rotation appearing in the last eight seasons.
During her time on the show, Clarkson has helped coach her artists to victory with four wins under her belt — including in season 21 when Girl Named Tom took became the first group to win the series.
Kelly has been a staple on the show and as the reigning winning coach fans assumed she’d be back for season 22; however, Clarkson has left the show and was replaced by newcomer Camila Cabello. While coach exits are nothing new, Clarkson’s exit has left fans confused so why exactly did Clarkson choose not to return for season 22?
Why didn’t Kelly Clarkson come back for The Voice season 22?
While Kelly Clarkson did not confirm the reason for her departure from The Voice upon her initial exit, she’s since revealed the decision was connected to her desire to take some time off and enjoy the summer with her kids.
In an interview with the TODAY Show, Clarkson revealed she felt the need to take a personal break after years of staying busy and avoiding taking any time off. Because The Voice films during the summer, Clarkson ultimately decided to rightfully put herself first by sitting out this season in order to take a much-needed break.
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Given Clarkson left the show amicably and only left the show out of a desire to take some time off, it’s highly possible she could choose to return in the future. And we’re sure NBC would happily welcome her back to the fold!
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Would you love to see Kelly Clarkson return to The Voice after season 22? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Once again, there has been another change on the judging panel of The Voice U.S.
Long-serving The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson has officially exited the singing competition after eight seasons of holding her seat on the rotating red chair.
On Sunday, May 15, popstar Camila Cabello announced she would be filling Clarkson's shoes, with the new series set to start this fall.
But why is Kelly Clarkson leaving The Voice after all this time? Newsweek has everything you need to know.
Why Is Kelly Clarkson Leaving?
Kelly Clarkson's exit may come as a bit of a surprise to fans, considering Team Kelly has won four times in the past eight seasons, most recently in Season 21 with sibling trio Girl named Tom.
Fans of The Voice had been speculating for a few months that coach Kelly Clarkson would be leaving the show and they were right.
Clarkson hasn't yet given an official reason for her departure from The Voice, but fans are convinced it's likely to do with the exciting projects she has of her own and her desire to spend more time with her children.
She has joined NBC's new singing reality series American Song Contest as co-host alongside Snoop Dogg. She also has her own NBC talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, which is becoming increasingly popular, and she serves as an executive producer on that show.
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In an Instagram Q&A with her fans in January 2022, Clarkson hinted that she would be making some changes this year to her personal and professional life, particularly so she could spend more time with her children, River, seven, and Remington, five.
Clarkson said: "I've decided this year there's just [going to] be a couple of changes for me that I can't say here.
"There's a couple things happening. I've been able to make more time just for me and my kiddos and still be able to work. Just where we can get away on weekends and really do some fun stuff with my kids.
"They only want to hang out with you for so long and that's now so I got to take advantage of that. I'm excited to have more time with them. I mean I have a ton of time in the morning but I don't know, I'm selfish. They're fun."
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In a separate interview with radio host Elvis Duran, Clarkson hinted she wanted to take a break.
She shared: "I turned 40 and you know what I'm giving myself for 40? I literally said 'no' to everything this summer. I will not do anything this summer. Since I was 16 years old, I haven't had a summer off. This is my first summer off. I am taking time."
Newsweek has contacted Kelly Clarkson's representatives for comment.
Her spot will be taken over by pop star Camila Cabello, who will join regular judges Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton and John Legend.
Stefani, Shelton and Legend announced their return via TikTok, and fans could not help but notice Clarkson was missing.
Shelton posted a video of himself singing Mika's "Grace Kelly" on Friday, May 13, with the caption: "#duet this if you're going to be a coach on #TheVoice this fall" and sure enough, he was joined by Stefani and Legend as they belted out the lyrics.
Stefani will be returning to The Voice for the first time in two years, taking over from Ariana Grande.
On Sunday, May 15, the official The Voice Twitter account reposted the video, but with a twist. At the bottom of the screen, Camila Cabello popped up to join in the "Grace Kelly" sing-along.
Alongside the video, The Voice Twitter account wrote: "Give a warm welcome to your Voice Coaches.
"#TheVoice returns this fall with @blakeshelton, @johnlegend, @gwenstefani, and @Camila_Cabello."
Cabello also posted the video on her own Instagram account, with the caption: "See you this fall! #TheVoice"
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Cabello is no stranger to The Voice, having served as a mentor on the show as part of Legend's team before, but this will be her first time in the big red chair.
She is also used to reality singing competitions, having shot to fame as one part of Fifth Harmony in 2012. Cabello left the group in 2016 and then embarked on a successful solo career.
The Voice Season 22 is coming to NBC this fall