Kelly Clarkson Returns To ‘The Voice’ After Brief Absence As Fellow ‘Idol’ Alum Steps In, Talk Show On Track For New Season

Kelly Clarkson is returning to The Voice this week as NBC’s music competition show is taping footage for Season 29, titled “Battle Of Champions,” in which Clarkson is reunited with fellow Voice-winning coaches Adam Levine and John Legend.

According to sources, Clarkson missed one Voice shoot following the death earlier this month of her former husband and father of her children, Brandon Blackstock. It was a rehearsal for the battle rounds, with Jennifer Hudson filling in for her. Like Clarkson, Hudson is a former American Idol contestant and Voice coach who has a popular daytime talk show.

NBC is filming two cycles of The Voice simultaneously. Premiering this fall is Season 28, featuring Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg as coaches. As with Clarkson’s involvement in Season 29, there had been speculation about McEntire’s participation in Season 28 following the death of Blackstock, who was her stepson. Filming on the season has been going according to plan, with McEntire fulfilling her obligations, sources said.

Also uninterrupted are preparations for the upcoming 7th season of Clarkson’s syndicated daytime talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show for NBCUniversal. The program is on track to start production in early September as scheduled, with tickets available on studio audience sites.

Until then, fans can watch the four-part Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson on NBC and next day on Peacock, with each episode featuring different music artists with stories about their biggest hits. Here is the lineup:

Tuesday, August 19 at 10 p.m.: Jonas Brothers
Tuesday, August 26 at 10 p.m.: Gloria Estefan
Tuesday, September 2 at 10 p.m.: Teddy Swims
Tuesday, September 9 at 10 p.m.: Lizzo