Kelly Clarkson Needs Publicity Help STAT!

TARNISHED IDOL Clarkson

Earlier this week, ex-Idol Kelly Clarkson decided to break away from her longtime publicist, Jeff Kwatinetz, going all Miss Independent for her impending arena tour and album release. Then just yesterday, she cancelled said tour, due to overblown expectations. According to the CEO of Live Nation, "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew." And on top of those two snafus, Clarkson's public battle with Clive Davis over her album content, the fact that her first single is tanking, and her yo-yo weight fluctuations can only mean one thing ... it's time to call in the experts.

This week, we talked to two big publicists on both sides of the country; a New York old timer who handles A-list television, music, and film clients, and a major Los Angeles rep who has managed to diffuse even the most potentially damaging celebrity stunts. They both asked not to be named because, well, they both have clients linked to American Idol, and you know how it goes when you mess with that behemoth. Read on for their emergency remedies for the pop star, who both publicists admitted could use a lot of TLC (and Chinese herbs) at the moment.

Kelly Clarkson, you're in the PR/ER!