Kelly Clarkson Returning to 'The Voice' After Brief Absence

Kelly Clarkson’s keeping the show rolling after the tragic death of ex-hubby Brandon Blackstock -- TMZ’s confirmed she’s heading back to "The Voice" as a coach.

We’re told Kelly skipped one taping for Season 29 of NBC’s 'Battle of the Champions' earlier this month -- coming right after the heartbreaking news -- but Jennifer Hudson stepped in during rehearsals for the battle rounds.

Kelly’s reuniting with fellow champ coaches Adam Levine and John Legend -- and get this, the show’s cranking out two cycles at the same time.

As for the other run, Season 28’s got a stacked lineup too … with Michael Bublé, Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, and Reba McEntire all returning when it premieres this fall.

Reba’s role was also shaky at first -- since Brandon was her stepson -- but sources tell Deadline everything’s on track ... she’s filming as planned and sticking to all her commitments.

Back to Kelly -- the 7th season of her daytime talk show is also locked in to kick off production in early September, right on schedule.

Rumors swirled earlier this year that Kelly was ready to ditch the show over her absences ... but we’re told those breaks were tied to Brandon’s illness. Sources say the entire staff knew he was sick, but kept it quiet out of respect for the family.