Kelly Clarkson just kicked off her Las Vegas residency last week, and her vocals and comedic personality carry the stage.
The former talk show host announced back in February that she was ending her eponymous talk show after seven seasons, calling the move an “easy decision.”
Now it seems there’s one thing she won’t miss about the NBC network following her exit.
Clarkson took a jab at the network she has worked with since 2019 during opening night of her “Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions” residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on July 17.
Speaking to the audience with a mic in hand, the singer stroked one fan’s shirt that sparkled with sequins.
“I would get fired at NBC, but I don’t work there anymore,” she said while chuckling. As the audience roared with laughter, she admitted she was sad, but it “was a fun show.”
Clarkson also shared another detail about her abrupt departure from the show.
“But it is funny,” the singer explained. ‘You got to those HR meetings, and you’re like, nobody on the road would last. It’s just a different world, you know.”
Clarkson said the show imposed too many rules on what she could say and do on set and with guests.
“And then they say dumb sh-t like, ‘You can’t comment if someone’s lost weight,’ and I’m like, ‘B-tch, you better write a memo. You better write a memo about it. Write a song about it.’”
Clarkson said it confused her because she thought that it meant the person looked good.
She said, “But instead people are like, ‘No, because that means that you meant they did look really bad.’ And it’s like, ‘Or it just means it’s improved.’”
She then crooned “No more HR meetings” while dancing, before sharing another confession.
The 44-year-old said, “I’m just kidding. They actually — everyone hated doing HR meetings with me because I am a nerd.’”
She said she would stop the class, which made people want to have the meetings without her.
“They have separate meetings and everybody would opt out of any meeting I would be in,” she said with a smile. In her defense, she said she would “get into it” in order to “protect everyone.”
Fans had mixed reviews in the comments.
One confused fan wrote, “She had said she quit the show on her own now saying fired?”
Someone else who was also confused said, “Did she get fired ? Or she quit ?” Another asked, “So now she got fired? I could have sworn the story was that she chose to end the show because it was taking too much of her time away from her kids and actually recording songs.”
Someone else joked, “She doing stand up comedy now? Cool.”
Clarkson announced the end of her show after taking several hiatuses during its final season. She was often replaced by celebrity guest hosts.
During that time, her ex-husband and former manager, Brandon Blackstock, battled melanoma. Although Clarkson and Blackstock had divorced, they continued to raise their two children, River Rose, 12, and Remington “Remy” Alexander, 10.
Clarkson married Blackstock in October 2013, and they separated in 2020. The former couple settled their divorce two years later. In the settlement, the “Breakaway” singer had to give her ex a one-time payment of $1,326,161 as well as $115,000 a month in child support.
In 2023, a labor commissioner ordered Blackstock to repay Clarkson $2,641,374 in commissions he unlawfully collected.
Clarkson hinted at the loss of her children’s father, who died last August, while announcing the end of her show.
She said, “Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives.”
Her show would not be the only one to leave the air this year. Although production continues, NBC plans to air its final episode sometime this fall.
Debmar-Mercury canceled Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated show in May after it aired primarily on Fox affiliate stations. Executives insisted the decision did not reflect the show’s performance and instead blamed the evolving daytime television landscape.
They also claimed they would explore other platforms for Shepherd’s show, but they have not shared any updates since then.
