Kelly Clarkson cryptically tells viewers she’s ‘lost, alone, a lot’ after discuss present absence
Kelly Clarkson raised eyebrows with her comments about personal “ups and downs” during the 1,000th episode of her eponymous talk show.
The 42-year-old singer celebrated the huge milestone on Thursday after a lengthy absence from hosting duties.
She returned to the show as host on Tuesday, after being absent for more than a week without explanation.
During Thursday’s episode, she looked back on the last five years of her show, which first aired on NBC in September 2019.
“I cannot believe today marks the 1,000th. It’s crazy,” she said. “We have met some hugely talented people, tons of big stars, and inspiring everyday heroes.”
She praised the community she’s created on the show, filled with people who’ve “supported each other through a lot of ups and downs.”
“A lot of ups and downs personally as well,” she added.
Reflecting on how her show has traveled through various locations before settling in New York City, she alluded to the emotional challenges she has faced throughout her career.
“For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together,” the “Stronger” singer said. “I’ve lost, alone, a lot.”
As the audience laughed at her remark, she responded: “It’s OK,” before explaining how her community on the show has “found comfort” in each other.
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“And looking back, we are all incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the community we’ve created,” she concluded. “I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. It has been such a cool time.”
Last week, fans were concerned about Clarkson because she was absent from her show from March 10 to March 14. She’d also been missing from the program on March 6 and March 7. She had a slew of guest hosts taking her place, including Brooke Shields, Molly Sims, Roy Wood Jr, and Will Geist.
Although she returned to the show on March 18 and March 20, she had a guest host in her place on March 19.
While hosting her show for the last five years, Clarkson has experienced some pivotal moments in her personal life. In 2020, she filed for divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, with whom she shares her two children — River, 10, and Remington, eight.
Their divorce was finalized in 2022, with Clarkson agreeing to make a one-time payment of $1.3 million to her ex-husband, along with monthly child support payments of $45,601. She also agreed to pay Blackstock $115,000 a month in spousal support, a stipulation that ended in January 2024.
Over the years, Clarkson has been open about how her divorce has affected her children. During a March 2023 appearance on Angie Martinez’s IRL Podcast, she revealed that her kids have shared their honest feelings about the split during bedtime conversations.
“I literally ask my kids every night when we’re snuggling, ‘Are you happy?’ And if you’re not, what could make you happier?’” she said. “A lot of times it would be like, ‘You know, I’m just really sad. I wish Mommy and Daddy were in the same house.’ And they’re really honest about it. And I’m raising that kind of individual.”
