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Kelly Clarkson
will join NBC’s “
The Voice
” as a coach for season 14,
Variety
has learned.
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.
Both Clarkson and Shelton are represented by Narvel Blackstock’s Starstruck Entertainment.
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.
With season 14 of “The Voice” set to premiere in February, Clarkson will likely be spinning her chair at NBC at the same time that ABC’s “Idol,” expected to debut in March, is getting off the ground. The two shows could even find themselves going head-to-head. ABC has committed to roughly 40 hours of “Idol,” making it highly likely that the show will air two nights a week, as it did on Fox. According to sources, ABC is eyeing Sunday as one of those nights. The end of the spring cycle of “The Bachelor” in mid-March would open up Monday evenings for an hour-long weekly “Idol” results show. There it could face NBC’s regular 8-10 p.m. episode of “The Voice.”
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!!”
“Kelly has been a part of ‘The Voice’ family for many years as an adviser and performer. We are thrilled she has chosen to join us as a coach to mentor the next generation through our unique vocal boot camp,” said Paul Telegdy, president, alternative and reality group, NBC Entertainment. “Every time Kelly Clarkson sings you are reminded what an incredible voice really is. We are looking forward to the sound of Kelly Clarkson on ‘The Voice.’”