Kelly Clarkson smiling and sitting in a red chair on 'The Voice'

Thanks, I Hate It

‘The Voice’: Why Is Kelly Clarkson Leaving — Again?

Kelly Clarkson isn't returning as a coach for 'The Voice' Season 24. Here's the likely reason why she's not coming back for at least 1 season.

by Lauren Weiler

Published on May 27, 2023

3 min read

Why is Kelly Clarkson leaving ‘The Voice’ after season 23?

Kelly Clarkson in ‘The Voice’ | Trae Patton/NBC

Kelly Clarkson joined The Voice as a judge in season 14 and remained on the show until 2021. After a short hiatus, she returned in season 23, and fans were elated to see her back. While Clarkson admits that American Idol producers wanted her to judge on their show, she declined their offer in favor of The Voice. Unfortunately, news broke that Clarkson doesn’t plan on returning as a judge for The Voice Season 24.

Clarkson hasn’t addressed the reason for her absence. But it’s likely related to her move. Her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, will move production from the Universal lot in Los Angeles to NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. The studio, which also hosts famous talk shows led by Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, and David Letterman, will film in front of a live studio audience.

It seems part of the reason for the talk show’s relocation has to do with New York’s Film Tax Credit. Eligible television productions relocating to New York receive a major tax incentive.

The Kelly Clarkson Show moving also means Clarkson herself will relocate to New York. The Voice typically films in Universal City, California. With Clarkson out of the state, it makes sense that she’d need at least one season off to acclimate to her new city.

She left the series once before

Kelly Clarkson leaving ahead of The Voice Season 24 isn’t the first time she’s saying goodbye to the series. She told her fans in January 2022 that she planned to make some personal changes ahead of her first exit.

“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 during an Instagram Q&A, according to Yahoo. “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.”

Clarkson continued by admitting her kids “only want to hang out … for so long, and that’s now, so I got to take advantage of that.”

Clarkson was also in the wake of her difficult divorce from Brandon Blackstock. She filed for divorce in 2020 and reflected on how it affected her family.

“It’s horrible. There are so many hard parts,” she admitted on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “The hardest for me is the kids. That’s the hardest for me. I think as women we are trained … to take it all on and you can deal with it and you’re fine, but it’s your babies that you worry about.”

Who are the new judges on ‘The Voice’ Season 24?

While Kelly Clarkson won’t join The Voice Season 24 as a judge, fans can anticipate seeing new and familiar faces. Reba McEntire is officially taking over for Blake Shelton, as Shelton’s last season was season 23. The other three judges are Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, and John Legend.

“The country lane — I’m taking over for Blake, so I’m gonna represent country music,” McEntire told People. “[He’s got] big boots. I don’t know what size those boots are, but they’re big, so I’m gonna really work hard to make him proud.”

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