Why Is Kelly Clarkson Leaving 'The Voice'?

Once again, there has been another change on the judging panel of The Voice U.S.

Long-serving The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson has officially exited the singing competition after eight seasons of holding her seat on the rotating red chair.

On Sunday, May 15, popstar Camila Cabello announced she would be filling Clarkson's shoes, with the new series set to start this fall.

But why is Kelly Clarkson leaving The Voice after all this time? Newsweek has everything you need to know.

Why Is Kelly Clarkson Leaving?

Kelly Clarkson's exit may come as a bit of a surprise to fans, considering Team Kelly has won four times in the past eight seasons, most recently in Season 21 with sibling trio Girl named Tom.

Fans of The Voice had been speculating for a few months that coach Kelly Clarkson would be leaving the show and they were right.

Clarkson hasn't yet given an official reason for her departure from The Voice, but fans are convinced it's likely to do with the exciting projects she has of her own and her desire to spend more time with her children.

She has joined NBC's new singing reality series American Song Contest as co-host alongside Snoop Dogg. She also has her own NBC talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, which is becoming increasingly popular, and she serves as an executive producer on that show.

In an Instagram Q&A with her fans in January 2022, Clarkson hinted that she would be making some changes this year to her personal and professional life, particularly so she could spend more time with her children, River, seven, and Remington, five.

Clarkson said: "I've decided this year there's just [going to] be a couple of changes for me that I can't say here.

"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.

"They only want to hang out with you for so long and that's now so I got to take advantage of that. I'm excited to have more time with them. I mean I have a ton of time in the morning but I don't know, I'm selfish. They're fun."

In a separate interview with radio host Elvis Duran, Clarkson hinted she wanted to take a break.

She shared: "I turned 40 and you know what I'm giving myself for 40? I literally said 'no' to everything this summer. I will not do anything this summer. Since I was 16 years old, I haven't had a summer off. This is my first summer off. I am taking time."

Newsweek has contacted Kelly Clarkson's representatives for comment.

Her spot will be taken over by pop star Camila Cabello, who will join regular judges Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton and John Legend.

Stefani, Shelton and Legend announced their return via TikTok, and fans could not help but notice Clarkson was missing.

Shelton posted a video of himself singing Mika's "Grace Kelly" on Friday, May 13, with the caption: "#duet this if you're going to be a coach on #TheVoice this fall" and sure enough, he was joined by Stefani and Legend as they belted out the lyrics.

Stefani will be returning to The Voice for the first time in two years, taking over from Ariana Grande.

On Sunday, May 15, the official The Voice Twitter account reposted the video, but with a twist. At the bottom of the screen, Camila Cabello popped up to join in the "Grace Kelly" sing-along.

Alongside the video, The Voice Twitter account wrote: "Give a warm welcome to your Voice Coaches.

"#TheVoice returns this fall with @blakeshelton, @johnlegend, @gwenstefani, and @Camila_Cabello."

Cabello also posted the video on her own Instagram account, with the caption: "See you this fall! #TheVoice"

Cabello is no stranger to The Voice, having served as a mentor on the show as part of Legend's team before, but this will be her first time in the big red chair.

She is also used to reality singing competitions, having shot to fame as one part of Fifth Harmony in 2012. Cabello left the group in 2016 and then embarked on a successful solo career.

The Voice Season 22 is coming to NBC this fall