Arriving on the national scene in 2002 as the first-ever winner of a brand-new show called American Idol, Kelly Clarkson spent the next two-plus decades in the spotlight. Since 2019, the “Since U Been Gone” singer, 43, has helmed her own talk show on NBC. Following a 10-episode absence earlier this year, rumors surfaced that Clarkson was looking for an out. Now, the three-time Grammy Award winner has revealed another project set to air on NBC this summer.
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New Program Got Its Start as Special Episodes of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
Deadline reported Thursday (May 15) that Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson will hit the airwaves later this year.
Airing as four hour-long episodes beginning Aug. 19 at 10 p.m. Eastern, the new program will feature Clarkson interviewing guests Gloria Estefan, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, and Teddy Swims.
“The specials are a forum where iconic voices meet heartfelt storytelling through unfiltered conversation and sung in an intimate, unplugged setting,” a news release states.
The concept for Songs & Stories originated as a series of special episodes on The Kelly Clarkson Show. For those episodes, Clarkson spoke with Heart, Garth Brooks, Babyface, Miranda Lambert, Alanis Morissette and P!NK.
[RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Just Dropped a Cryptic Hint About Her Music Career]
Clarkson is also an executive producer on the new NBC show.
Does This Mean the End of Her Talk Show?
Since transitioning to daytime TV six years ago, Kelly Clarkson has collected 22 Daytime Emmys, including multiple trophies for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host. During the 2024-25 season, the show has averaged 1.2 million viewers per day.
Despite this, Page Six reported in April that the “Breakway” singer wanted to step away permanently to spend more time with daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy, 8. Sources told the outlet that Clarkson planned to leave the show once her contract expires next year.
The American Idol champ hasn’t publicly acknowledged those rumors. However, Page Six also reported just last week that Clarkson vented about the talk show’s demanding schedule during a May 9 gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’cause I have a talk show. It’s like a whole other job,” she told the audience.
She continued, “We are bummed ’cause we love doing shows, and it’s hard to fit it in, so it’s cool when it does work out with the schedule.”
Although Clarkson’s last full-length record came in 2023, she officially dropped a new single, “Where Have You Been,” last month.
Featured image by Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images
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