Kelly Clarkson will join NBC’s The Voice as a coach for season 14. The pop star and season-one American Idol champion will join longtime coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine for the NBC talent-competition series’ spring 2018 cycle. A fourth coach for the season has not yet been set. Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus are already confirmed to be joining regulars Levine and Shelton this fall for the show’s 13th season.
Clarkson had been in long-simmering talks about possibly joining “The Voice” for an upcoming season. She was approached by the show multiple times in the past and had expressed interest, but had been unable to work its production cycle into her schedule.
Clarkson had been approached in recent weeks to join “American Idol” as judge for its upcoming relaunch on ABC. The deal with “The Voice” scuttles any possible return to “Idol” for Clarkson, who was the winner of the talent competition’s first season in 2002 and appeared as a guest judge during the show’s 15th and final season on Fox.
In addition to being the first “Idol” champion, Clarkson is also one of its most distinguished alums, having risen to pop-star status on the strength of singles such as “Since U Been Gone.” Clarkson was also a judge on ABC’s short-lived singing competition “Duets.” In addition to manager Blackstock, she is represented by CAA.
“I’m so excited to join ‘The Voice’ at NBC,” Clarkson said. “We’ve gone back and forth about a role as a coach for years, but the timing hasn’t been right until now. I have always loved appearing on the show as an adviser or performer and established an amazing relationship with the network during my Christmas special. I can’t wait to turn my chair and see the faces of up-and-coming artists and provide them with the help and support they’ve needed to break into the industry. Watch out Shelton, I’m comin’ to win!!”
