Kelly Clarkson could not help but break down in tears over her eponymous talk show ending during the program on Thursday.
Clarkson Breaks Down In Tears
The emotional moment came as Clarkson, 44, was interviewing Rita Wilson, 69. who is married to Tom Hanks, 69. At the end of the interview, Wilson took a moment to praise Clarkson for all that she’s done in the entertainment world.
“I just wanna say one thing before we go,” Wilson said. “I wanna thank you for the years that you’ve been doing your show.”
“I wanna thank you for literally changing the game when it came to daytime television,” the Sleepless in Seattle actress continued. “The fact that you love music. That you have brought so much music to daytime that you have shared with us. Your voice, your gifts, and everyone else’s and your incredible band. I really wanna thank you because it has made a big change in my life. So thank you, Kelly.”
As the audience cheered, Clarkson began to noticeably tear up.
“I’m fine,” Clarkson managed to say before getting up to hug Wilson.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed before joking, “I’m like, ‘Shut it off!’ It’s okay.”
Check out the emotional moment for yourself in the video below.
Clarkson Ending Talk Show
Clarkson announced back in February that she will be ending The Kelly Clarkson Show later this year so that she can “prioritize” her two children. The original American Idol winner is mom to daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 10.
Clarkson shared them with her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. He tragically died of cancer at the age of 48 in August of 2025.
“I have been extremely fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of people at The Kelly Clarkson Show, both in Los Angeles and New York,” Clarkson wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram page at the time.
Clarkson went on to reflect on the past seven seasons “alongside the greatest band and crew you could hope for, all the talent and inspiring people who have shared their time and lives with us,” as well as the fans and NBC.
That’s when Clarkson revealed that her talk show will sadly be ending.
“This was not an easy decision, but this season will be my last hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Clarkson stated. “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.”
Clarkson Doubles Down
While appearing on the Today show later that month, Clarkson elaborated further on her decision.
“Well, I think everybody probably gets the timing,” she said at the time. “Our family life, the dynamic changed a bit and it has changed for a minute now.”
Clarkson proceeded to say that while she’s still working other jobs, when it came to her daytime talk show and putting her children first, “There’s just too much on the plate. So I’m like, ‘You know what, it’s time to kind of pull back.’”
Though we’re sad that The Kelly Clarkson Show is ending, we can certainly understand why Clarkson wants to prioritize her children after they lost their father. We’d like to wish Clarkson and her family the best of luck with their next chapter.
God bless you, Kelly Clarkson!