NEED TO KNOW
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Multiple sources tell PEOPLE that Kelly Clarkson was absent from her talk show earlier this year due to her ex Brandon Blackstock’s illness
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The musician also confirmed on Aug. 6 that she was postponing dates of her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, River, 11, and Remington, 9, due to Blackstock’s health
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Clarkson missed episodes of her talk show beginning in March
Kelly Clarkson’s absence from her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, earlier this year is being explained.
Multiple sources tell PEOPLE that the Grammy-winning performer, 43, missed several episodes of her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, earlier this year largely due to her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock’s illness.
On Aug. 6, Clarkson revealed she is postponing dates of her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, River, 11, and Remington, 9, due to Blackstock’s health.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” Clarkson shared in a post on Instagram.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them,” her statement continued. “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Clarkson also had to postpone the opening of her Las Vegas residency in early July to protect her voice.
“The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice. I want the shows to be perfect for y’all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I am taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve,” she wrote in an Instagram announcement at the time.
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Fans first noticed Clarkson’s absence from her talk show on March 3.
On the episode, Simu Liu, who had previously led the daytime talk show for Clarkson in 2022, agreed to pivot from guest to host for the day.
“Kelly isn’t able to make it today. We’re sending her our very best,” he told the audience. “I did not know that I was doing this until about five minutes ago when I arrived to promote my new movie Last Breath.”
The actor added, “I’m here now, and look, I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”
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Kelly Clarkson on Season 6 of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
In her absence, several other celebrity guest hosts stepped in for the American Idol alum.
Comedian Roy Wood Jr. took over the hosting duties for the March 6 episode after previously guest-hosting on Feb. 28.
“Kelly’s out for the day,” he explained. “I’m back. You’re in good hands. I was here about a week ago, I think they brought me back because of my resemblance to Kelly. You need to squint to see it, though.”
Actress Wanda Sykes and singer Josh Groban co-hosted the March 7 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. The Upshaws star explained, “It’s good to be here at Kelly’s show. She asked if I could co-host, and I said, ‘Absolutely, Kelly. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing on my birthday than daytime TV.'”
After stepping in for Clarkson on March 10, Brooke Shields returned to host the March 11 episode. She told viewers that it was “so nice” to be filling in “again” for the TV personality.
Clarkson, however, returned to her namesake show on March 20. At the time, she celebrated the program’s 1,000th episode, which featured guests Tyler Perry, Alicia Vikander and Venezuelan musical duo Mau y Ricky.
Since Clarkson’s announcement, the new dates for her Las Vegas residency show have been released.
According to Ticketmaster, the shows have been postponed to July and August 2026. They will still take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
However, her NBC interview and music special, Songs and Stories with Kelly Clarkson, will be airing as planned on Aug. 19.
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Given her current revised concert schedule, production schedules for The Voice and the next season of The Kelly Clarkson Show are not expected to be impacted.
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Kelly Clarkson on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
Clarkson was married to Blackstock for seven years before they split in June 2020.
During their marriage, the pair welcomed two kids: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander. In 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from the music manager and it was finalized two years later.
In January 2024, Clarkson told PEOPLE the divorce was “extraordinarily hard.”
“You feel alone, and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming,” she said, referencing her album Chemistry.
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