Inside Kelly Clarkson’s Final Talk Show Taping After 7 Seasons on the Air

Kelly Clarkson has officially wrapped up her daytime television journey after seven seasons, ending The Kelly Clarkson Show with a fan-focused finale on Aug. 31.

The daytime host stepped away from the set to focus on raising her two children, 12-year-old River Rose and 10-year-old Remington Alexander. Both kids joined the studio audience during the pre-taping on June 5 to watch their mom film her final episode.

During the pre-taping, Clarkson asked her children about their favorite memories from her seven-year run on NBC. River delivered a tear-jerker response, telling Clarkson her favorite part was simply “watching you shine.” Remy took a more practical route, skipping musical requests to ask for ice cream and a trip to Disney World instead.

A Playlist Driven By Fans

Executive producer Alex Duda and the production crew formatted the finale as a “Kelly by Request” special. Instead of traditional celebrity sit-downs, the studio filled up with longtime fans and community members previously featured on the show’s charitable segments. Guests chose the setlist, turning the final hour into a mini-concert featuring Clarkson’s biggest hits, deep cuts, and behind-the-scenes stories.

Music served as the main engine for the talk show since its September 2019 debut, generating 24 Daytime Emmy Awards over its run. The signature “Kellyoke” segment, where Clarkson covered tracks from across every genre, became a major pop culture fixture. For the finale, Clarkson performed her most requested cover ever: “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. Major artists like Céline Dion and Coldplay frequently praised her reinterpretations of their tracks on social media throughout the show’s run.

“Music was basically our shortcut to connection,” Duda said. “I think it was one of our biggest cultural contributions, that our show became that rare place where artists could hear their own music reinterpreted by one of the greatest vocalists of our generation.”

Setting Up The Final Curtain

Clarkson also used the stage to perform her new single, “I’d Be Lying.” Wanting her final musical moment on the set to be spotless, she ran through the track multiple times during the June taping to get the live audio right for broadcast.

The atmosphere in the studio stayed light, even as crew members reminded the 200-person audience they were watching the final moments of the show. Duda noted that the team intentionally avoided overly somber themes, choosing instead to mirror the uplifting approach they used during darker times.

“I hope we made things a little bright,” Duda said. “Especially in the pandemic, we felt that things were so dark that if we can control this one hour and make the sun shine, then we’ve accomplished something.”

After filming her final song, Clarkson posed for group photos with the entire production crew. The staff later held a farewell party on the lot, which Duda described as a mix of crying and sharing old memories. With over 1,200 episodes in the archives, Clarkson exits daytime television on her own terms, trading her daily hosting duties for more time with her family.

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