Kelly Clarkson resumed her talk show less than two months after the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
Season 7 of The Kelly Clarkson Show premiered on Monday, September 29, with Clarkson, 43, returning to her hosting duties on the New York City set.
Clarkson opened the show with a cover of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” as part of her “Kellyoke” segment.
“It’s so great to see all of y’all again. I feel like it’s been a minute,” Clarkson said after her performance. “That was ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd. I love that song, it makes me feel good, and it’s a perfect song to kick us off because light has been a constant theme for us on this show since the beginning. We’ve seen a lot in the past six years, and sometimes the world can be very heavy, but I’ve always said my favorite part of doing this job — and I stand by it — is finding the light and shining it on people who are really trying to make the world a better place. It sounds cheesy but it’s real. It makes you feel good. That’s exactly what we’re gonna be doing this week and all season, y’all.”
While she didn’t mention Blackstock during the taping, the host was joined by A Big Bold Beautiful Journey stars Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell for a lively conversation.
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Clarkson, a Texas native, also took a moment to honor those who were on the scene during the floods in the Texas Hill Country this summer.
Music director Jason Halbert opened up about the show’s “emotional” return on Monday, telling USA Today, “I don’t know how [Clarkson] compartmentalizes watching that segment, super emotional, and then jumping into, like, making crafts with kids, and then jumping into emoting a song.”
He added, “A lot happened for us all in the last year, on personal and career levels. You’re going to see some songs reflect things that maybe she wouldn’t talk about verbally in a sitting on the couch interview.”
Earlier this month, NBC confirmed in a press release that The Kelly Clarkson Show would begin production on season 7 during the week of September 8. The talk show had been on hiatus since its season 6 finale aired in June.
During Clarkson’s break from filming, Blackstock died on August 7 after privately battling melanoma. He was 48.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,” a rep told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 to 2022. The exes shared daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9.
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Amid Blackstock’s cancer battle, Clarkson missed numerous episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show in February and March, with guest hosts filling in during her unexplained absence.
“He’d been sick for a while, but his health really took a turn for the worse earlier this year. That’s why she was MIA from her talk show,” a source exclusively told Us in August. “Out of respect, Kelly chose not to say anything publicly until it became clear this week that Brandon wasn’t going to make it.”
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While Blackstock’s illness and death were “devastating” for Clarkson and her family, she ensured that her children always “come first” amid the tragic circumstances.
“A big part of it was making her schedule available for transporting the children to visit Brandon, and all of the emotions that came with this difficult time,” an insider told Us in August, referring to Clarkson’s talk show hiatus. “Kelly is a workhorse. Hard work is all she knows. She hates disappointing people, truly. The thing that kept her going was knowing how many people depend on her, like her crews and employees.”
Although Clarkson “loves her work,” the source reiterated that she would “find a way” to be there for her kids after the loss of their father because “nothing compares to a situation like this.”
