Kelly Clarkson: Why She Ditched ‘American Idol’ Offer, Signed With ‘The Voice’

Kelly Clarkson was reportedly offered a deal to sign on for the forthcoming return of American Idol, but she turned it down so that she can move ahead with a lucrative contract from The Voice instead.

NBC confirmed earlier this week that Kelly Clarkson will be joining the panel of judges for the show’s 14th season early 2018, and that’s despite the fact that the singer had been in negotiations with ABC to sign on to be a judge on American Idol instead.

According to Hollywood Life, however, Kelly Clarkson ended up going with NBC, and she had several reasons why she made that decision in the end.

It goes without saying that American Idol has done wonders for Kelly Clarkson, who not only won the show but is one of the biggest acts to have come from the platform it gave her, so there’s no doubt that Kelly has a lot of love for everybody over at the show.

However, having worked with NBC on multiple occasions in recent years, as noted by Variety, and since the network has been pushing Kelly Clarkson to sign a deal with them for quite some time, Kelly Clarkson didn’t see a reason why she shouldn’t go for it.

She feels extremely comfortable when she’s working over at NBC, particularly with the crew of The Voice. It’s a very friendly environment, and with her new deal come great opportunities to venture out and take part in forthcoming musicals that NBC is said to be working on.

So, signing with NBC wasn’t just so that Kelly Clarkson would confirm her role as a judge on The Voice, but it will also lead to further opportunities with the network that guarantee the singer a significant amount of stability if she was to decide to take an extended hiatus from making music of her own.

“The Voice has been a second home for Kelly and they have treated her like a queen there when she has done the show,” a source for Hollywood Life gushes. “NBC also wants to work with her on some of the upcoming musicals and the money was too good to pass up.”

“Kelly was having reservations that Idol was no longer on FOX. Kelly had worked with ABC before and once she started comparing it to what she had with The Voice and all they were offering it was a no-brainer to become a coach on The Voice. Kelly is very excited.”

As its already been mentioned, the fact that American Idol is leaving FOX was another factor in Kelly Clarkson’s decision not to sign on with ABC. It’s not that she has a problem with the execs, but she’s established relationships with NBC that make her feel confident she’s making the right decision in going with them instead.

Kelly Clarkson, as mentioned, will make her appearance on The Voice early 2018, Billboard asserts, right after Jennifer Hudson concludes her season with the show. In a press statement, Hudson was confirmed as a judge, having recently concluded the same role on the UK’s version of the talent series.

In a statement of her own, Kelly Clarkson confirmed reports regarding her decision to sign with NBC, writing, “We’ve gone back and forth about a role as a coach for years, but the timing hasn’t been right until now.”

“I’ve always loved appearing on the show as an adviser or performer and established an amazing relationship with the network during my Christmas special. I can’t wait to turn my chair and see the faces of up-and-coming artists and provide them with the help and support they’ve needed to break into the industry. Watch out Shelton!”

Are you excited to see what Kelly Clarkson will bring to the show, or do you think she should have remained loyal to American Idol instead?

[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]