Behind-the-Scenes Reaction to Kelly Clarkson Missing Talk Show Episodes Revealed

The reason Kelly Clarkson was absent from her talk show for certain days had nothing to do with contract issues between her and NBC. According to a new report from Life & Style, she was dealing with a personal family matter.

In March and April, the American Idol winner skipped tapings on her daytime talk show to reportedly visit her sick ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. And her bosses were in full support of her decision.

“​​Kelly tried to keep this all very under wraps out of respect for Brandon,” the insider says. “Kelly is very valued by [NBC], and they have told her that whatever she needs, they will do. If that means more time off and more guest hosts to fill in, then they will make that happen with no questions asked.”

Clarkson first missed a taping on March 3, with actor Simu Liu agreeing to host for the day after he was initially scheduled to be a guest. He told the audience, “Kelly isn’t able to make it today. We’re sending her our very best. I did not know that I was doing this until about five minutes ago when I arrived to promote my new movie Last Breath. I’m here now, and look, I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”

Clarkson returned the following day, but missed a taping on March 6 and remained absent for the rest of the week. Roy Wood Jr., Wanda Sykes, Josh Groban and Brooke Shields all filled in as guest hosts.

After 10 absences, she missed another episode in April for another “family emergency,” with a source telling NewsNation that her ex was sick. “She took the kids to see him,” the insider claimed. 

A source said: “It’s made a really hard time a lot easier because she can focus on the most important thing, which is her family. For all their problems, Brandon is still her kids’ dad, so this really impacted them. Kelly loves hosting her show, but her kids will always come first. So, as much as the network is being kind, they are being smart too. Keeping Kelly happy means keeping a very successful show on the air.”

Sources have claimed Clarkson has grown burned out by the daily grind of a daytime talk show. She reportedly won’t renew her contract in 2026 as she wants to re-focus on her music career.