The Voice: Why Was Kelly Clarkson Absent For Part Of Tonight’s Episode?
on Mar 16, 2026
The Voice Season 29 Battle Rounds kicked off Monday night (March 16), and viewers noticed that coach Kelly Clarkson was absent from rehearsals.
The latest season of The Voice brought plenty of twists and turns from the original show format. Instead of four coaches, there are three, all of whom are previous winners. For the first time, one coach (Kelly Clarkson) has earned a Super Steal. Later in the competition, one coach will earn the right to bring an extra artist to the finale.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the season so far was the absence of Kelly Clarkson during the first night of Battle Rounds. Clarkson missed rehearsals for her team and asked fellow American Idol alum and former Voice coach Jennifer Hudson to fill in.
Why did Kelly Clarkson miss Battle Round rehearsals?
The Voice: Battle of Champions Battle Round episodes filmed in late summer of 2025. When Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, died on August 7, she stepped away from the show temporarily.
Brandon, who is the stepson of Reba McEntire, died after a three-year fight against skin cancer. Brandon and Kelly married in 2013 and shared two children: River Rose and Remington. Kelly filed for divorce in 2020, and their split was finalized two years later.
The day before Brandon’s passing, Kelly shared that he had been sick and postponed her Las Vegas residency to be with their children.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas. While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them. I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding,” Kelly wrote at the time.
Kelly Clarkson’s Voice Return
Kelly Clarkson returned to The Voice for her 10th non-consecutive season. As the winningest female coach in the show’s history, Clarkson’s return was a surprise.
In 2023, she moved her self-titled talk show and left The Voice to relocate to New York City. Clarkson was a beloved coach on the show, but her move made it less likely that she would ever occupy the iconic red chair again.
Fans were elated when she was named as a coach for Season 29, and were understanding when she had to step away to be with her kids after their father’s death.
During Monday’s Battle Round episode, Kelly didn’t address Brandon’s passing, but simply said that she “hated that she couldn’t be there” for the rehearsals.
“I really hated that I couldn’t be there for Battle rehearsals, but I got to see the video footage,” Clarkson explained. “J. Hud left these notes for me and things she had the team work on, and it was amazing intel. Nothing beats live music, so that’s what I’m excited about.”
Watch Team Kelly’s Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown’s Battle, which had coach Adam Levine declare it “the best Battle Round I have ever heard,” in the video below.
