Revealed: Kelly Clarkson's 'Personal Issue' That Sparked Her Mystery Show Absence — And Why Her Staff are Now 'Walking on Eggshells'
Clarkson took an unexplained two week absence from her show in March.
March 27 2025, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Kelly Clarkson is back, but tensions are higher than ever.
The exact reason for Clarkson's extended hiatus from The Kelly Clarkson Show remains unclear, but RadarOnline.com can reveal her staff is now "walking on eggshells" due to her noticeably different demeanor since returning.
Staffers at 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' are claiming tensions have been high backstage.
Last week, concerns grew as the singer-turned-host missed 10 full episodes of her daytime talk show.
A source at the time revealed Clarkson was absent due to a "personal matter" that "did not directly involve her."
Clarkson was absent for 10 episodes before making her big return to her talk show last Thursday.
The insider also emphasized there was "no cause for alarm" and the host was "completely fine."
While she returned last Thursday, there's reportedly still a lot of unease behind the scenes – with sources saying the 42-year-old's behavior has drastically shifted since coming back.
She would often have casual conversations with staff about their lives, share laughs, and apologize for any distractions, but they claimed that behavior has completely stopped.
One longtime employee told DailyMail: "She used to be so accessible. She'd stand at your desk and just talk. Ask about your life.
"She knows the names of everyone's husbands and kids and would ask about them by name."
They continued: "She'd talk and talk, and then she'd suddenly apologize for taking you away from your work. I was always like, 'You're the boss; you don't need to apologize,' and she'd laugh."
Since Clarkson's return, the staffer said her handlers have kept her away from the team and ensured she avoids any uncomfortable questions about her absence.
They added: "It's just a very weird vibe now, and no one has any idea what's going on.
"t's really unsettling. It's not knowing that really makes things hard for everyone. When you don't know what's going on, you just assume the worst. That's human nature."
The singer opened up about 'loss' when giving her monologue to mark her show's 1,000th episode.
A second staff member confirmed while the show's team of over 100 employees feels anxious, they frequently receive reassurances they're not at risk of losing their jobs.
They explained: "We're all walking on eggshells; there aren't a lot of answers.
"But we've been assured that our jobs are safe and that she'll be back full-time. It was a personal issue and it's now working itself out, and things will be back to normal before we know it.
"They say that the show's going to go on and we're all going to be fine."
The Season 1 American Idol winner reappeared on her show last Thursday, delivering an emotional speech to celebrate 1,000 episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
She admitted to "losing a lot" and going through "lots of ups and downs," which prompted even more concern among her loyal fanbase.
She 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."
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."
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.
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Several guest celebrities filled 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."
Sources claimed Clarkson wants to quit her show when her contract expires next year.
Another asked: "Where is Kelly? We are worried sick about her."
While Clarkson hasn't provided specific details, her absence followed her highly publicized and difficult divorce from Brandon Blackstock during the course of her show.
