‘The Voice’: New Coach Revealed, Kelly Clarkson Not Returning

Camilla Cabello will be the fourth coach on the upcoming fall 2022 season of The Voice, NBC announced Sunday. The network shared a TikTok video featuring Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, John Legend, and Cabello singing along to “Grace Kelly” by Mika. Cabello has extensive experience in singing competitions, having become a star after appearing in The X Factor USA and joining Legend’s team during the previous season of The Voice as a mentor.

Cabello shared the TikTok video on her own account, adding, “See you this fall” in the caption. NBC later published the video on The Voice’s official Twitter page, confirming it wasn’t just a joke. The video was also very similar to one Stefani posted on her own TikTok page Friday.

Give a warm welcome to your Voice Coaches. 💗 #TheVoice returns this fall with @blakeshelton, @johnlegend, @gwenstefani and @Camila_Cabello. pic.twitter.com/w06rCalAF9

— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) May 15, 2022

Season 22 will be the second consecutive season with a first-time coach. Season 21 featured Ariana Grande for the first time. The season also featured Jason Aldean as a mentor for Kelly Clarkson’s team, Kristin Chenoweth for Team Ariana, and Dierks Bentley for Team Blake. The season ended with Clarkson’s act, Girl Named Tom, winning the show.

When Legend named Cabello as his team’s mentor last year, he pointed to her own experience as a singing competition veteran, which would make her perfect for The Voice. “She was part of a group, and in this battle setting, where the artists are dueting with each other, that’s a very important skill to have,” Legend told Extra of the former Fifth Harmony member. “And obviously, she’s an incredibly successful artist and performer in her own right, and all the things she’s learned throughout these years are going to be so important for our team.”

This will be the first season without Clarkson since Season 15 in 2018. It also marks Stefani’s first time on the show since Season 19 aired in fall 2020, and it is her first since she and Shelton tied the knot. Shelton is the only coach to star in all 22 seasons of the series. Legend has been a coach every season since Season 16 in spring 2019.

Cabello could be a big win for The Voice producers, who have been trying to keep the show relevant after over 20 seasons now. Producers are clearly only going for young talent whenever coach chairs open up, as other recent new hires have included Nick Jonas, Kelsea Ballerini, and Bebe Rexha. Last year, NBC also decided to switch The Voice from two cycles each season to just one, which explains why there was no Spring 2022 season.

“Going into the 21st cycle in the fall, The Voice remains one of the most popular shows on television and we want to keep it that way,” Frances Berwick, the Chairman of Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in May 2021. “We want to eventize this iconic series. We think The Voice will be on NBC for a very long time to come and we believe the best way to protect the brand, while also superserving fans is to produce one amazing cycle this year.”

Cabello, 25, has scored several hits as a solo artist since Fifth Harmony split. Her best-known songs include “Havana,” “Never Be the Same,” “Senorita,” “Bad Things,” and “Crying in the Club.” Her latest album, Familia, includes the singles “Don’t Go Yet,” “Bam Bam,” and “Psychofreak.”