Everything to Know About Kelly Clarkson's 'The Voice' Season 29 Return

The Voice hasn’t been the same since Kelly Clarkson’s been gone, but fans won’t have to watch the show without her much longer.

In July 2025, NBC announced a special “Battle of the Champions” format change for season 29, featuring the return of Clarkson and two other past coaches.

“A Voice first, the upcoming spring cycle will be dubbed The Voice: Battle of Champions, marking a major revamp to the longstanding format and nodding to the powerhouse coaches who form the only panel in the show’s history comprised entirely of Voice winners,” a press release for the season read.

The announcement came more than two years after Clarkson left The Voice following the conclusion of season 23. She had served as a coach in seasons 14 through 21 and 23. She coached four artists to victory, including Girl Named Tom, a sibling trio who made history as the first group to win the competition.

Below, Us Weekly shares everything to know about Clarkson’s return to The Voice and why she walked away in the first place:

When Is Kelly Clarkson Coming Back to ‘The Voice’?

Clarkson will return to The Voice when season 29 airs in spring 2026. An exact date has not yet been announced, but it is expected to premiere sometime in February 2026.

Before that, fans can tune into The Voice season 28 in September 2025 with coaches Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire.

What Is ‘The Voice: Battle of the Champions’?

“Battle of the Champions” will coincide with NBC Sports’ “Legendary February,” according to the press release.

“The landmark season will be infused with fast-paced, competitive elements inspired by both, delivering a fresh twist on the format that raises the stakes for coaches and artists alike,” the announcement reads. “’Legendary February’ refers to February 2026, when NBC Sports will present three of the biggest events in sports in one month – Super Bowl LX, the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, and the NBA All-Star Game.”

Season 29 will feature four rounds, including the blind auditions, battles, knockouts and semi-finals/finale. Coaches will start with 10 artists per team.

Each round will come with a unique twist. In the blinds, coaches will compete against each other in the “Triple Turn Competition,” where they vie to get the most three-chair-turn artists on their teams. The winner gets a special advantage in the next round.

In the battles, the Triple Turn Competition winner gets a Super Steal, which trumps another coach’s attempt at a steal.

In the knockouts, the coaches get to bring back two fan-favorite artists from their teams in previous seasons. They’ll battle it out in head-to-head sing-offs, and the coach with the most sing-off wins is guaranteed a second finalist in the finale.

The finals will have a Top 9 and a Top 4. For the first time in the competition’s history, a “voting block” made up of super fans and past Voice artists will be able to join the in-studio audience and vote for their favorites in real time.

Who Are the Other Coaches on ‘The Voice’ Season 29’?

In addition to Clarkson, fans will see Adam Levine and John Legend return to their red chairs for “Battle of the Champions.”

Levine came back to the show in season 27 after he previously coached in seasons 1 through 16. He won the competition three times.

Legend, meanwhile, coached in seasons 16-21, 24, 25 and 27. He won the show only in his first season with artist Maelyn Jarmon.

Original Voice coach CeeLo Green will also appear in season 29 to help Clarkson, Levine and Legend choose which artists will move on from the Knockouts.

The Voice typically has four coaches on its panel, and many fans have wondered if the fourth spot will remain open in season 29 or if another coach will be announced at a later date. However, it seems that the reformatted season will have one less red chair to turn.

Why Did Kelly Clarkson Leave ‘The Voice’?

Clarkson revealed in 2023 that she wanted a “fresh start” in New York City, where her talk show is now based, following her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,” she told USA Today at the time. “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.’”