NBC has found its replacement for Ellen DeGeneres’ soon-to-be empty daytime slot, per The Hollywood Reporter.
When “Ellen” comes to an end in 2022, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” will take over its coveted slot on NBC-owned stations.
Kelly has seen considerable success since her daytime show premiered in September 2019—she even scored Dr. Jill Biden’s first solo broadcast interview as First Lady in February 2021.
President of NBCUniversal Local Valari Staab told THR, “These are remarkable achievements for a talk show in its second season. We look forward to Ellen DeGeneres’ 19th season paired with Kelly Clarkson for what is sure to be a blockbuster year. By 2022, The Kelly Clarkson Show will be the star of our daytime entertainment schedules and an asset to our early afternoon newscasts.”
“The Kelly Clarkson Show is one of the most optimistic success stories in first-run syndication,” said Tracie Wilson, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios Executive VP. “It is a treasured part of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios offering and we are proud to partner with the NBC Owned Television Stations group to continue the show’s success.”
“Kelly and our entire production team put their heart, intent and incredible passion into making a show that resonates with people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds,” she continued. “We’re working on some big plans for season three and are looking forward to becoming the premier show in daytime for years to come.”
On May 12, Ellen confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her talk show would be ending, saying, “When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore.”
While the announcement came just 10 months after several former employees came forward with claims of a “toxic” work environment on the set of the show, Ellen noted that her decision to say goodbye to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has been in the works for some time.
“I was going to stop after season 16. That was going to be my last season and they wanted to sign for four more years and I said I’d sign for maybe for one,” the “Finding Dory” star explained.
Ellen further noted that the allegations that she faced over the summer “almost impacted the show” but it’s not the reason she’s stopping the series.
“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season. So, it’s not why I’m stopping but it was hard because I was sitting at home, it was summer, and I see a story that people have to chew gum before they talk to me and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is hilarious.’ Then I see another story of some other ridiculous thing and then it just didn’t stop. And I wasn’t working, so I had no platform, and I didn’t want to address it on [Twitter] and I thought if I just don’t address it, it’s going to go away because it was all so stupid,” she told THR.
She also explained that it “broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience — that people were hurt in any way.”
She added, “I’m not a scary person. I’m really easy to talk to. So, we’ve all learned from things that we didn’t realize — or I didn’t realize — were happening. I just want people to trust and know that I am who I appear to be.”
Kelly Clarkson Through The Years
View GalleryAccess Hollywood’s podcast “The Vault” features decades worth of A-list interviews and never-before-heard moments with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Listen now!