Kelly Clarkson seems excited to kick off the fifth season of her eponymous talk show, which has officially moved to New York from Los Angeles. While the American Idol winner's TV duties mostly revolve around that program now, one can't forget that she also served as a coach on The Voice. She started that gig during Season 14 and remained with the competition show through Season 21. While she bowed out of Season 22, Clarkson returned for the next run of episodes. Some may have been wondering why she left the long-running series, and the star has now provided an answer for that. And based on her comments, it sounds like she has no plans to rejoin it anytime soon.
The past few years have been relatively eventful for the singer and media personality -- and not always in a good way. She was engaged in a very public divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock and faced allegations about her show having a “traumatizing” work environment. Though the host finds it "odd," The Kelly Clarkson Show has been crushing it. That fact paired and the move to New York are contributing to a fresh start for Clarkson. She got candid with USA Today while reflecting on her struggles, and that's when she mentioned the NBC singing competition:
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. 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.’
The "Breakaway" singer was definitely an asset for the show, especially since she had personal experience with navigating a talent competition. Her chemistry with the other coaches was always a treat to see as well. She won four seasons in total, and her most recent win was in Season 21, with the sibling group Girl Named Tom. Despite all of that though, it sounds like it wasn’t easy for her to do the job due to her personal matters. She's surely missed by viewers but, at the end of the day, you have to put your family and personal well being first.
Even though she no longer appears on the show, Kelly Clarkson's fingerprints are still all over it in some ways. Just recently, a contestant auditioned with an early Clarkson hit, singing “The Trouble with Love Is,” which made new coach Reba McEntire and reigning champ Niall Horan both turn around. McEntire actually has a connection to Clarkson, as the “Stronger” singer was once the country superstar’s daughter-in-law. McEntire was married to Narvel Blackstock, the father of Brandon, whose divorce was from Clarkson was finalized in 2022. McEntire recalled first meeting her former daughter-in-law way back on American Idol's first season finale, and the two have been close since.
The Grammy winner isn't the only major talent who's no longer on The Voice, as Blake Shelton also exited his post as a coach. Gwen Stefani opened up about how frustrating it’s been without her hubby on the series, saying that it took her a while to accept that he was leaving the series he'd appeared on for 23 seasons. Luckily, Stefani, John Legend, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire have been holding down, though. While it's bittersweet that Kelly Clarkson may never return to join them, it's comforting to know that she's in a better space at this point in her life. Because let's be honest, that's what truly matters.
The Voice is currently part of the 2023 TV schedule, as it airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
