Kelly Clarkson Wants to Quit Her Talk Show, Report Claims

Kelly Clarkson is reportedly planning to exit her daytime television program when her contract concludes next year, according to exclusive reporting from Page Six.

Multiple inside sources told the publication that the popular host aims to step away from her Emmy-winning series to focus on family priorities.

“Kelly’s number one priority is her children, and they always will be,” an industry insider revealed to the outlet about the Texas-born entertainer. “The show is grueling. It’s a whole lot of work, and I hear that Kelly would like to spend more time down South.”

The 42-year-old star, who relocated from Los Angeles to New York when the show moved production in 2023, recently sparked speculation about her future after an unexplained two-week absence from broadcasting in March. During this hiatus, substitute presenters, including Andy Cohen, Simu Liu, and Kal Penn, filled her role before she returned on March 18.

Upon her comeback, which coincided with the show’s 1,000th episode milestone, Clarkson delivered an emotional address acknowledging personal struggles. “We have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together. I’ve lost, alone, a lot,” she remarked, though quickly reassuring viewers with “It’s OK!”

Neither Clarkson’s representatives nor NBCUniversal responded to requests for comment from Page Six regarding the departure rumors. However, industry sources indicate that network executives are exploring options to maintain Clarkson’s presence on NBC, potentially through holiday programming like Christmas in Rockefeller Center.

The singer’s current contract extends through the 2025-2026 season, with The Kelly Clarkson Show consistently ranking among America’s top syndicated talk programs. According to Deadline, the series averages 1.2 million daily viewers during the 2024-25 season—an increase from fall 2023 figures.

Despite this success and the show’s impressive collection of 22 Daytime Emmy Awards, a television insider told Page Six that production costs create challenging economics. “It’s a tough job and profit margins are low,” the source stated.

Clarkson, who previously earned approximately $10 million per season as a coach on NBC’s The Voice, has been candid about personal challenges in recent years, particularly her difficult divorce from former manager Brandon Blackstock. In a June 2023 Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, she admitted, “Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well.”

While additional reports suggested Clarkson might join Jenna Bush Hager on the Today Show, replacing Hoda Kotb, industry sources firmly dismissed this possibility to Page Six, noting such a role would be even more demanding than her current position—contradicting her apparent desire for greater family time.