The Newest ‘Kelly Clarkson Show’ Rumors, Explained

A producer on The Kelly Clarkson Show says it seems like the daytime talk show could “collapse any minute” amid rumors that host Kelly Clarkson will quit the show next year when her NBCUniversal contract expires.

The anonymous producer recently told the Daily Mail they’re “not feeling too stable” amid the show’s uncertain future. They added, “[Clarkson] could bolt at any time. Where does that leave me?”

And “stressed is an understatement” when it comes to the vibe on set, the producer said. “No one likes the uncertainty. This feels like it could collapse any minute.”

The Daily Mail reports that Hoda Kotb, fresh from her TODAY retirement, is rumored to be a possible replacement for Clarkson, and the tipster seems amenable to that changeover.

“Everyone loves Kelly,” the producer said. “She’s a wonderful person. But maybe Hoda would be a better boss. I know she’s universally beloved and respected by her former coworkers. Maybe she would be good. She sure would be a lot more stable than what we’ve been going through. … If Kelly is unhappy, then she should move on. We would all understand. If Hoda wants to do it, it could be [a] win-win for everyone.”

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal

The Daily Mail also reports that Clarkson’s ten-episode absence from her show in March put the staff on edge. Later that month, a Kelly Clarkson Show employee told the outlet that there was a “really unsettling” and “very weird” atmosphere on set after Clarkson’s return, saying the host was less accessible to staffers than she was before her absence.

Clarkson returned to the show in time for the 1,000th episode celebration, but even during that joyous affair, she made a cryptic comment, telling her audience that she had “lost, alone, a lot” during the show’s run.

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When The Kelly Clarkson Show premiered in 2019, the pop star was still married to Brandon Blackstock, with whom she shares two kids, but the couple split the following year and finalized the divorce in 2022. Then, in 2023, The Kelly Clarkson Show moved its production from Los Angeles to New York City, marking a fresh start for its host. At the time, Clarkson told The Daily Beast that fifth season marked the first in which she was “not incredibly sad deep inside.”

Last month, Page Six also reported that Clarkson wants to quit the show to spend more time with her kids at the end of her contract in 2026. “Kelly’s No. 1 priority is her children, and they always will be,” a source told the outlet. “The show is grueling. It’s a whole lot of work, and I hear that Kelly would like to spend more time down south.”

And on Sunday, May 25, the gossip site Deuxmoi also circulated rumors that Kotb would replace Clarkson, with a source telling the site that an official announcement could be just days away.

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