Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Kelly Clarkson opens up about tearful change to family dynamic concerning kids with Brandon Blackstock

The host of The Kelly Clarkson Show is set to move across the country to be closer to family

Kelly Clarkson acm awards 2022
Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
Online News WriterNew York
Share this:

Kelly Clarkson has a major change coming her way that is impacting both her professional life and her family life with kids River Rose, eight, and Remington "Remy" Alexander, seven.

The host of The Kelly Clarkson Show, who mostly splits her time between Los Angeles and her Montana ranch, is set to uproot her living situation this year, as her eponymous NBC talk show prepares to move to the network's New York City studios.

News of the shake-up was first announced at the beginning of May. The show will start airing from New York, from a brand new studio no less, with the fifth season in the fall, and it has already been renewed for a sixth, taking the show through 2024 and 2025.

WATCH: Kelly Clarkson's Family Life

MORE: Kelly Clarkson's appearance will leave you doing a double take in photo with former family member

Though at the time of the announcement Kelly kept largely mum on the subject, she recently opened up to TalkShopLive about the decision process of taking both her work and her kids, who she shares with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, across the country to the East Coast.

 It wasn't an easy decision to make, and she admitted: "I haven't actually been able to talk about this a lot. I talked to my crew back in January through tears because I have built such an amazing group of people."

MORE: Kelly Clarkson looks so different with makeup-free appearance as she opens up to fans

She added: "Obviously, we've been very successful and I love everybody I work with and we have such great relationships." 

The show picked up a total of eleven Daytime Emmy nominations recently, two main nominations for the Outstanding Daytime Talk Series and Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host for the singer, her fourth in a row since the NBC show's 2019 premiere, plus nine nods in the Creative Arts and Lifestyle categories, the most this year, including camera editing, hairstyling & makeup, and direction.

Kelly Clarkson accepts The Daytime Talk Show of 2022 award for The Kelly Clarkson Show at the People's Choice Awards© Getty Images
Kelly has hosted her show for four years

Despite it being a difficult decision, she had little choice, and further explained: "I was like, 'Guys I need you to know what’s happening. It's either I'm not going to be able to continue with the show or I got to go the East Coast.'"

MORE: Reba McEntire opens up about replacing former stepdaughter-in-law Kelly Clarkson on The Voice

MORE: Kelly Clarkson breaks silence on 'toxic' workplace allegations: 'This is unacceptable'

Kelly revealed that the decision was made in an effort to be closer to her family, as she said: "My family is East Coast. They're North Carolina-based. It was one of those things where I just had to."

Kelly Clarkson with her two children at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony© Getty Images
The singer has primary custody of her two children, who are eight and seven

She further said there were "hurdle after hurdle with things," motivating her to leave California, and that ultimately, her family was seeking a much-needed reset.

"There were a lot of personal things going on, too," she said, adding: "I feel like our family, me and my kids, really needed a fresh start and I just could not get it here [in Los Angeles]."

Kelly with her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock and their three children© Getty Images
Kelly and her kids' dad, Brandon, were married from 2013 to 2021

Finally, expressing her appreciation for NBC for their understanding through the moving process, she said: "It was really cool that NBC backed me because I was, like, 'Y'all I love doing this show, I really do, I didn't even know I would but I got to make a change for me and my family so any chance we can maybe do this. I know we can't do this from my ranch, so, any chance we can do it in New York, which is at least closer to my family.'"

Read more HELLO! US stories here. Want to keep up to date with the latest stories? Sign up to our HELLO! Newsletters today.

More Parenting

See more