Kelly Clarkson has been going through it when it comes to her talk show — even though we’re still not really sure why.
After she skipped several shows in March, word on the street was that the singer was eager to bring an end to her hosting duties. She’s apparently been dealing with a “very painful” private, family situation that has brought her a lot of clarity about what she wants to do next in life and with her career, such as a possible move out of NYC. This has led many to believe she won’t re-up her contract for the show when it expires next year. That’s a big deal considering how popular the talk show is!
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Kelly hasn’t made up her mind yet, and there’s reportedly one thing — or rather dozens of things — making her so conflicted. Two staffers, including a producer, on the show told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that the Since U Been Gone hitmaker is “tormented” by the decision because her departure could impact 100 employees. Yeah, that makes for a VERY difficult choice!
A staff member explained Kelly’s dilemma further, sharing:
“She’s made it very clear that she doesn’t want her decisions to affect all of our livelihoods… but it’s a bit late for that now.”
Oof. The insider also revealed the mother of two has had meetings with high-level producers about the show’s future — and she was an “emotional” wreck:
“She was emotional. She was worried about the staff and had a bit of a breakdown about it.”
There’s no telling what would happen if Kelly walks away. Hoda Kotb has already made it clear she doesn’t want the job. We’re sure the network would find someone great to take over the time slot — but would everyone get to keep their jobs? It’s certainly not a guarantee. So, the ones who haven’t already started looking for new jobs could be in a bind.
While the worker understands Kelly is having a hard time, they’re definitely more than a little salty about the performer’s most recent public vent sessions about the show. During some rare concerts last month, the American Idol winner revealed she and her band are “bummed” they don’t get to put on as many live performances amid her busy “schedule.”
She also said she’s shocked she hasn’t been “fired” after getting into disagreements with her show’s HR department over what she can and cannot say, specifically around complimenting others on weight loss. It was hard not to realize how much pent-up frustration she has with the daytime gig! But this has really rubbed her team the wrong way.
The staffer slammed Kelly for the overly candid comments, pointing out:
“I get that she’s conflicted, but when she says things publicly, it makes the public feel like she doesn’t want to be here. And if she doesn’t want to be here, why should they tune in?”
Addressing the concert criticism more directly, they added:
“I cringed when I heard her comments. It’s just not a good look, you know? You don’t want the person whose name is on the show to be trashing the show. Some things just need to be family business.”
Despite, obviously, being a bit disappointed with the current state of the show, staffers insisted Kelly is a good boss — it’s just her recent actions have been putting their jobs in jeopardy. It’s really no wonder they’re all on edge then. The insider explained:
“I know that Kelly is worried that she has lost the respect of her team. I don’t know that it’s that black and white. There’s nuance there.”
They continued:
“Everyone understands that she’s gone through some things, and we’re all very sympathetic. But if she wants to keep our goodwill, she needs to not trash the show, and give us plenty of notice if she decides to bail. That would be the decent thing to do.”
It sounds like she’s trying to make up her mind and doesn’t want to make a rash decision that will negatively impact people. So, hopefully, the staff does get that early notice! But at the end of the day, Kelly — as anyone would — is gonna put herself and her family first, so sadly, she’s going to hurt some feelings along the way, no matter how hard she tries not to.
The 43-year-old is set to start a Las Vegas residency this summer that will span into the fall, so maybe that will allow her to get her music fix in enough to continue with the show? Or maybe it’ll only make her want to walk away sooner?! We’ll see!
Reactions? What do U think is driving Kelly’s decision? Sound OFF (below)!
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