‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’: 3 Revelations From Behind the Scenes
Preview
It’s 10am on a Wednesday in April, and TV Guide Magazine is among the ranks of The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s buzzing audience members filing into Universal Studios Lot, Stage 1, in Hollywood. (Dress code: “nice casual trendy bright colors.”)
Crew members hustle as they prep to tape two episodes of Kelly Clarkson’s weekday talker. Excitement is in the air, escalating when upbeat warm-up guy Ruben Ervin announces Clarkson’s arrival. The ultra-relatable host has a lot of folks excited, in fact: She scored a pair of Daytime Emmys in her first two seasons, with an Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show twofer on top of that. Being on set for her series’ blend of conversation, games, real talk, and music makes for a fast-paced, entertaining (if overly air-conditioned) adventure. Read on for a few behind-the-scenes observations:
(Credit: Carter Smith/NBCUniversal)
1. During interviews, questions are planned…but not written in stone. “We want people never taken off guard but also to feel free to have a fun and loose conversation,” Clarkson says. “I love people and I love to talk, so I am known to go off script when I am really interested in a topic.” (The mother of two should be all in for the “Rad Moms” week of episodes that start May 9, featuring Tiffany Haddish, Jessica Biel and Michelle Pfeiffer plus an inspiring story of a Ukrainian mom rescue. By Clarkson’s definition, “A rad mom is a present mom who makes the most of the simplest moments together.”)
2. When cameras are off, Clarkson poses for photos with her guests. During TV Guide Magazine’s time on set, Idris Elba and the Jonas Brothers were saying cheese.
3. Think the show is taped in order? Think again. “It’s always a large puzzle the executive producers have mastered,” Clarkson says. EP Alex Duda and the stage managers “keep me on track because I can definitely lose track of time talking to the guests, band, and audience.” The fan-favorite “Kelly-oke” segment, for example, where an audience member picks a song and Clarkson sings it with the in-house My Band Y’All, opens each episode.
But today on set, she belts out the Kelly-oke track “Footloose” last — which is convenient, because she confesses she doesn’t know the Kenny Loggins ’80s classic too well and needs five tries to get it right! But Clarkson, her two background vocalists, and the audience laugh it off. That’s showbiz!
The Kelly Clarkson Show, Monday, May 9, syndicated, check local listings
