Blake Shelton caught up with long-time friend and former The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson during Monday’s (Sept. 19) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
The country stars discussed the upcoming season of The Voice, which Clarkson will not be returning to.
“So how are things at The Voice? I know you miss me,” Clarkson joked.
“Nobody’s you, okay let’s just say there’s only one Kelly Clarkson. But there is one person we’ve found who can talk as much as you and that’s Camilla. There’s no way you guys could be on the same season,” Shelton responded.
Despite the kind sentiment, Shelton couldn’t pass up the opportunity to poke fun at his old friend.
“Although unlike you, when she talks, she makes sense,” he added.
"There's no way you guys could be on the same season." Today on Kelly, @blakeshelton is giving a preview of what to expect from @Camila_Cabello as a coach on the season premiere of #TheVoice tonight 8/7c on @nbc! pic.twitter.com/3gWq33virm
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) September 19, 2022
Later in the episode, Shelton shared more about his first hit “Austin.” Before the hitmaker began strumming his signature track, Clarkson spoke up and mentioned she was up to lend her angelic vocals to Shelton for his live performance.
“Are you gonna sing with me? I’ve never heard you sing on this show, so that’s cool,” Shelton answered, continuing their familiar banter.
Shelton sang the first verse solo, with Clarkson jumping in for the chorus. The impromptu duet was welcomed eagerly by fans, earning comments such as “Yasss…The duo is back 🙌 Love their friendship ❤️” and “Can you guys record this 😍🔥.”
Watch the full iconic duet of “Austin” below.
The Texas native closed season 21 of The Voice with a victory with talented band Girl Named Tom at the end of last year.
The news that Clarkson would not be returning as a coach on season 22 of The Voice broke a few months later in May.
Prior to the official announcement, Clarkson hosted an online Q&A via her talk show’s Instagram account where she hinted that she wouldn’t return to the popular singing competition.
“I’ve decided this year there’s just [going to] be a couple changes for me that I can’t say here,” Clarkson shared. “But there are a couple of 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.”
More recently, Clarkson explained her decision to step away from The Voice on The TODAY Show. Clarkson said that she hasn’t taken any real time off since she was 16.
“[I] hadn’t had a minute, and it’s obviously been a rough couple of years. So, it was really important to me to shut down for a minute,” she shared.
Camilla Cabello will be taking Clarkson’s place on the popular show, yet there are no hard feelings between the two stars.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Clarkson said she thinks Cabello will “excel” at her new role.
“I think she’s gonna just excel in that situation. I think she’s very comfortable in her skin and I think that’s what it takes to be a coach and to be able to coach people,” Clarkson said. “You have to be comfortable first and foremost. So I think she’s gonna do well and I hope she kicks [Blake’s] ass.”
Despite her time on The Voice coming to a close, nothing appears to have changed in Clarkson and Shelton’s long-standing friendship.
