Surprise! Kelly Clarkson, host of her eponymous talk show in New York City, is moving back to Los Angeles — at least, briefly — for one of her former jobs.
The inaugural American Idol champ, 43, is confirmed to be one of the three coaches tapped to return for season 29 of The Voice, which is getting a format revamp ahead of its spring 2026 premiere.
Kelly will join returning coaches Adam Levine and John Legend for The Voice: Battle of Champions, a tournament style season featuring three coaches, all of whom have won previous installments of the NBC competition.
© Getty ImagesShe confirmed the move as well on social media, sharing a promotional shot of the three coaches and simply captioning it: "I'm so excited to be back coaching on the Voice!"
The show is being revamped this season as part tournament, part All Stars season, featuring four rounds: the "blinds," in which the coaches compete to get the most triple chair turns; the "battles," in which the winning coach from the previous round gets a "super steal" to their advantage; "knockouts," featuring each coach bringing back returning contestants for an All Stars face-off; and finally, a top 9 semi-finals, followed by a top 4 finale.
The host of The Kelly Clarkson Show last appeared on the show as a coach in season 23, after which she decided to leave the show and the city behind, moving to NYC with her talk show and her two kids, Remy and River.
© Getty ImagesThe move was motivated at the time by a bitter divorce from now ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, following which she addressed a desire to start afresh in the Big Apple, aided by the network's willingness to create a new studio at Rockefeller Center.
She previously spoke with USA Today about her desire to leave LA and begin life in a new way on the East Coast, alluding to her struggles with her mental health while she was still on The Voice due to her personal life.
© Getty ImagesKelly mentioned that during the final days of hosting her daytime talk show in California, "full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life."
"I've learned a lot about what I'm capable of handling, and also what you should not handle," she continued, saying she was spreading herself too thin to enjoy herself. "That was me saying 'bye' to The Voice and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, 'I'm struggling. I can't smile anymore. I don't feel like smiling.'"
"What's cool for me with Season 5 is I am in such a great place, not only with my kids, but with me personally and with the show," Kelly gushed. "I feel like a weight has lifted. That move was very needed. I think the thing I'm most excited about with Season 5, on a selfish level, is just showing up to work smiling and actually meaning it."
