Kelly Clarkson said goodbye to The Kelly Clarkson Show with a little help from her kids.
“My kiddos have always come first. They’re a big reason I did this show … and they’re also a big reason it’s time to say goodbye,” Clarkson, 44, said on the Monday, August 31, episode of her daytime show, referring to daughter River Rose, 12, and son Remington, 10, who were watching in the crowd. “I’m such a proud momma, they’re the greatest kids in the world.”
Clarkson continued, “When we started, River was in kindergarten. She’s about to be in middle school, crazy. My son, Remington, he had his singing debut on stage with the band, a little Frank Sinatra.”
When the musician asked her son to share his “favorite moment” from the show, he replied, “I liked talking to Jason Momoa and singing ‘My Way’ with the band.”
River, meanwhile, nearly moved her mom to tears. “I liked watching you shine every day,” the preteen gushed.
Clarkson’s kids later joined her on stage as she said goodbye to her band, crew and viewers.
“For seven years, I’ve ended each episode by saying, ‘Have a great day, and if it’s not, change it,’” she said. “I say that because while we have to accept that life is totally out of our control, each moment truly depends on how we choose to respond or react to it. … I loved being in your homes each day. I loved seeing my kiddos grow up on the show as well. I have immeasurable gratitude for everybody — the crew, the band, everybody here. The audience, the viewers, thank you so much. It’s been an incredible opportunity. Thank you for connecting with us.”
Kelly Clarkson hugs her two children during the final episode of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’ Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal
Clarkson began hosting her eponymous daytime talk show in 2019, eventually earning multiple Daytime Emmy Awards throughout her seven-year tenure on air. The singer announced earlier this year that she planned to conclude the series in order to better prioritize her family in the wake of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock’s death. (Blackstock died in 2025 after a private battle with cancer at the age of 48.)
Ahead of Monday’s episode, Clarkson waxed nostalgic about her talk show host experience.
“You know what? [In our] seven seasons, a lot has happened in my personal life and a lot has happened in life for everyone,” she began in a YouTube retrospective special published Friday, August 28. “There’s been a pandemic. I think, if there’s a word to describe The Kelly Clarkson Show, it’s ‘pivot.’ There’s not been one normal season, I feel like, but at the same time; what a necessary thing to have to come to work and focus on other people.”
She added, “I think that saved me, honestly, a lot of times [and] I think this show has made everyone better at what they do.”
Clarkson admitted she was initially wary about making the leap from full-time singer to daytime TV host.
“Well, it was brought up to me with my ex and he was like, ‘Hey, NBC was talking about maybe doing a talk show with me,’ and I was, like, ‘OK, that’s the worst idea ever ‘cause I never shut up,’” Clarkson recalled, referring to Blackstock. “You know, nobody really knew my personality to the extent of what it is until The Voice, and I think they saw how comfortable on-camera I am and how, like, I’m all in.”
Eventually, Clarkson agreed to film a pilot episode that quickly resonated with test audiences.
“I’m very present. I think they saw that and it’s really just me,” she mused. “I’m the same kid at 19 that auditioned for [American] Idol that everybody got to know in the first place. Working with those producers on that show and having to do the little segments here and there and that probably prepped me a little, and I didn’t realize it.”
In the years since The Kelly Clarkson Show debuted, the Voice coach has interviewed a slate of high-profile guests and encouraged others to duet for special editions of her “Kelly-oke” segment.
“Sometimes, a lot of times, I’m just sitting across from people going, ‘How did I get the chance to talk to you?’ All these incredible people that I’ve really looked up to,” Clarkson quipped. “You know, Julie Andrews, I’ve talked to her a couple times. Who says that? We’ve literally had people that are in the White House. I mean, it’s been everyone from Heart to Alanis [Morissette] to, I mean, I’ve had Pink on here. I’ve been singing with people that I’m just, like, ‘What?’”
