As Kelly Clarkson Returns, Her Fill-In on ‘The Voice’ is Revealed

As Kelly Clarkson returns to her red chair at “The Voice,” filming Battle Rounds for season 29, she has a fellow “American Idol” alum to thank for keeping her seat warm.

Deadline reported on August 19, 2025, that Jennifer Hudson, also a former coach on “The Voice,” stepped in for Clarkson as she canceled appearances to be with her children upon the death of their dad, and her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

Kelly Clarkson Only Missed 1 Episode of ‘The Voice,’ Per Report

Before Blackstock’s death, Clarkson had begun filming season 29 of “The Voice” — labeled “The Battle of Champions” — in July with fellow coaches John Legend and Adam Levine.

On August 6, she abruptly canceled the remainder of her Las Vegas residency shows to be “fully present” for her and Blackstock’s children — River Rose, 11, and Remington (Remy) Alexander, 9. Blackstock, whom Clarkson was married to from 2013 to 2022, died the following day.

As the family grieved, Hudson stepped in to film rehearsals with Clarkson’s team members ahead of the Battle rounds, according to Deadline.

Clarkson and Hudson have a great deal in common. Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol” in 2002, and Hudson placed seventh on season three. Both women host Emmy-winning daily talk shows, and they competed against each other as coaches on “The Voice” in 2018.

For a season that will pit coaches with winning pedigrees — the show’s first-ever “Battle of Champions” — Hudson also makes sense, given that she’s an EGOT winner, with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony under her belt.

Kelly Clarkson Has Sung Jennifer Hudson’s Praises Multiple Times in 2025

Clarkson has sung Hudson’s praises multiple times in 2025. In March, she told Kylie Kelce on her podcast that Hudson was “the person who understood me the most” during filming because they both have been in the contestants’ shoes, competing on a national talent show.

In May, during a segment on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Clarkson picked Hudson as the person she’d want to be stranded on an island with.

During a game of “Playing Dice With God” with guests Tina Fey and Will Forte, Clarkson was asked, “If you had to be stranded on an island with one former famous co-worker, who would you choose and why?”

Clarkson immediately replied, “I’m gonna say — she seems like a fun hang for a while — so I’m gonna say J-Hud. I’m gonna say Jennifer Hudson.”

Clarkson is expected to be back on set as the season 29 Battle Rounds are filmed on August 21 and 22, per Deadline. According to ticket agent 1iota, she’ll be back on September 5 and 6 to film the Knockout Rounds with Legend and Levine. The season is slated to air in the spring of 2026.