Kelly Clarkson, the small-town girl who became a pop icon and television sensation, appears ready to walk away from her hit daytime talk show. After years of juggling the demands of Hollywood, the Grammy-winning singer and “American Idol” champion reportedly wants to quit *The Kelly Clarkson Show* when her contract with NBC expires next year.
This news, first reported by *Page Six*, has left network executives scrambling to find ways to keep Clarkson on board. But sources close to the star say her mind is made up—her focus is on family, not fame.
According to multiple insiders, the 42-year-old entertainer is looking to step away from the daily grind of hosting in order to spend more time with her two children, 10-year-old River Rose and 8-year-old Remy.
“Kelly’s No. 1 priority is her children, and they always will be,” an industry source told *Page Six*. “The show is grueling. It’s a whole lot of work, and I hear that Kelly would like to spend more time down South.”
Clarkson’s team has not commented on the reports, and NBC has remained tight-lipped. However, the singer’s actions—and her emotional remarks on her show’s recent 1,000th episode—suggest she is preparing for a major shift in her career.
Clarkson returned to *The Kelly Clarkson Show* after nearly two weeks away, citing a “personal matter.” When she did, emotions ran high.
During the special episode, the singer reflected on how much her children mean to her, especially as they’ve grown up alongside her time in the spotlight.
“On a personal level, I think the most meaningful change for me has been my own family,” Clarkson shared.
As a montage of her kids’ past appearances on the show played, Clarkson fought back tears. “I’ve actually never seen this,” she admitted, before trying to laugh it off: “So you’re crying. I’m not.”
She also took a rare moment to acknowledge the personal hardships she has faced, alluding to the pain of her highly publicized divorce from former manager Brandon Blackstock in 2020.
“I’ve lost, alone, a lot,” Clarkson confessed. While she didn’t go into specifics, the emotion in her voice was unmistakable.
Clarkson’s struggles following her divorce have been well-documented. In a candid 2023 interview with Zane Lowe, she admitted that she did not handle the split well.
“Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well,” Clarkson revealed. “I don’t know how people get through anything like that because I’m not going to say I did it gracefully. Behind closed doors, by myself, it was not.”
She recalled moments where she cried so intensely that she “couldn’t even speak.”
Despite her personal struggles, Clarkson remained a major force on television, both as a coach on *The Voice*—where she reportedly earned $10 million per season—and as the host of her own talk show, which launched in 2019.
However, industry insiders say that while *The Kelly Clarkson Show* has performed well in the ratings, it is not a major profit driver for NBC. One TV executive noted that talk shows are an expensive endeavor with relatively low profit margins, making the job a demanding one for any host.
While NBC reportedly wants to keep Clarkson on the network—potentially for hosting gigs like *Christmas in Rockefeller Center*—sources say she is ready to step back.
A recent rumor suggested Clarkson was being considered to replace Hoda Kotb on the 10 a.m. hour of *Today*, alongside Jenna Bush Hager. However, insiders quickly dismissed the idea, noting that *Today* would be an even more demanding job than her current talk show.
“If she wants to spend more time with her kids, she certainly wouldn’t get that [at *Today*],” one source pointed out.
Clarkson has already demonstrated that she is willing to shake things up for her children’s sake. In 2023, she relocated her show from Los Angeles to New York, largely because it allowed her family to have a fresh start.
“I was like, ‘Y’all, I love doing this show. I really do. I didn’t even know I would, but I gotta make a change for me and my family,’” she recalled in an interview with Nancy O’Dell. “Any chance we could do this in New York? Because it’s at least closer to my family.”
She later told *USA Today* that the move was a game-changer for her and her kids.
“I genuinely love it, and I love that my kids love it,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m not living here unless it’s right by the park and really nice for the kids.'”
For years, Kelly Clarkson has been a force to be reckoned with—whether on the stage, on TV, or in the headlines. But if these latest reports are true, she is preparing to make the boldest move of all: walking away from the Hollywood rat race to focus on what truly matters.
In an era where celebrity culture often prioritizes fame and fortune over family, Clarkson’s decision—if she follows through—would be a refreshing example of a mother putting her children first.
While NBC may fight to keep her, the star appears ready to call her own shots. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Kelly Clarkson won’t let anyone else define her future.
