Kelly Clarkson Admits She's 'Lost a Lot' During Talk Show Return — After Host Sparks Major Fan Concern Over Unexplained and Mysterious Absence
Kelly Clarkson opened up about 'loss' during the most recent episode of her talk show.
March 21 2025, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Kelly Clarkson got real about the tough times on her show after disappearing for weeks without explanation.
The singer gave an emotional speech marking 1,000 episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday, where she admitted to "losing a lot" and going through "lots of ups and downs," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 'American Idol' star admitted she has faced 'ups and downs' in her personal life recently.
Clarkson, who shot to fame winning American Idol's premiere season in 2002, launched her own talk show in September 2019.
Marking the milestone, the 42-year-old told her audience: "We have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together.
"I've lost, alone, a lot."
Clarkson's recent return to 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' came after a worrying weeks-long hiatus.
It's unclear what Clarkson meant, but after the studio audience awkwardly laughed, she quickly paused to reassure them, saying: "It’s OK!"
Elsewhere during the monologue, Clarkson also admitted to going through struggles in her own personal life.
She said: "We created a community and supported each other through a lot of ups and downs.
"A lot of ups and downs personally, as well."
Clarkson expressed gratitude to her crew and community for providing support and finding "comfort in one another."
The monumental episode marked the Since You Been Gone singer's return to her talk show after a weeks-long hiatus.
A source previously told TMZ Clarkson was absent due to a "personal matter" that "did not directly involve her."
The insider also emphasized there was "no cause for alarm" and the host was "completely fine."
Viewers first started wondering about her absence during the March 3 show, when Simu Liu revealed he learned he would be filling in just "five minutes" before going on stage.
The singer notably went through a highly publicized divorce shortly after launching her talk show.
He explained at the time: "Kelly actually isn’t able to make it today.
"We are sending her our very best, and here's the thing –– I did not know that I was doing this until about five minutes ago when I arrived here to promote my new movie, 'Last Breath.'"
Several guest celebrities have been filling in for the Grammy winner, which quickly prompted fans to question her whereabouts over the past few weeks.
One person wrote on Instagram: "I respect Kelly Clarkson’s privacy, but I am very concerned about her."
Another asked: "Where is Kelly? We are worried sick about her."
While Clarkson hasn't provided specific details, her absence follows her highly publicized and difficult divorce from Brandon Blackstock during the course of her show.
The former couple, who share daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remington "Remy" Alexander, eight, were married for almost seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
They endured a contentious court battle before finalizing their divorce settlement in March 2022.
In January, RadarOnline.com revealed the exhausted singer was working tirelessly on her show while her ex-husband enjoyed the millions he received from their divorce.
Clarkson recently moved her show to New York City.
An insider said: "Kelly is wealthy, but it galled her to have to pay millions for what she feels is no good reason. She thinks he made enough money off her when they were married.
"Brandon walked away with a tidy fortune that's keeping him in luxury. And he's enjoying the big payoff in Montana where he's raking it in with his new rodeo show – with Kelly's ex-assistant Brittney Jones."
They added: "Meanwhile, Kelly's running herself ragged in New York doing her show and struggling to meet a new partner."
