Entertainment

Kelly Clarkson Adds 'The Voice' To Her Résumé

by Ashley Rey
Ethan Miller/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

If you thought the future of The Voice couldn't get any brighter — especially after the recent news that Jennifer Hudson will be spinning in a red leather chair for Season 13 — you were wrong. Because it's just been announced that Kelly Clarkson is joining The Voice Season 14, and she's basically the only coach you could ever need.

Variety announced on Thursday that the Season 1 American Idol champ will be joining the ranks alongside confirmed hosts Adam Levine and Blake Shelton in the spring of 2018. It turns out that the singer has expressed interest in working on the show over the years, according to Variety, but conflicts with her schedule prevented her from actually doing so. So, it sounds like Clarkson was more excited than ever to add the NBC singing comp to her résumé, because she made sure to pencil it in well in advance — a full season ahead of time.

Just like J. Hud, Clarkson just may be one of the most experienced coaches The Voice has ever had. She was crowned the very first Idol winner back in 2002, and she pretty much set the standard for any competitors from that point forward. Additionally, the wife and mom has seen both sides that the singing competition has to offer — not only by being a contestant, but as a judge on ABC's short-lived show Duets and a guest judge on Idol.

As for what this means for Clarkson potentially becoming an American Idol judge in the near future? Well, according toVariety, The Voice deal reportedly puts a damper on the possibility of the "Piece by Piece" singer working on the ABC revival any time soon. The Voice's Season 14 and the new cycle of American Idol could potentially be running simultaneously in spring 2018, which would make for some extreme obligation conflicts for Clarkson.

The Voice definitely sounds like it's doing something right. NBC is showing that they're prepared to play hardball with any show vying for the top spot, especially after nailing down two high-profile competition alums for back-to-back seasons. And who knows — if the TV gods see it fit, we may be having a mini American Idol reunion between J. Hud and Clarkson on Season 14.