“The Kelly Clarkson Show” is officially coming to an end on August 31, 2026, after a successful 1,260-episode run.
In an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the finale taping on June 5, shared by PEOPLE, showrunner and executive producer Alex Duda had nothing but praise for the “American Idol” winner and “The Voice” coach.
“She was a connector. We learned that very early on,” Duda told the outlet. “The way she connected to people — that’s why we knew we wanted a format where people sat on the couch next to each other, the celebrity next to the human-interest guest, because when you do that, extraordinary moments can happen that you won’t see anywhere else.”
‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Features an Extra Special Segment
In February, Clarkson revealed that she was stepping away from hosting to focus on her kids. Her final episode is all the more fitting, as PEOPLE noted that the finale celebrates her family, the music, and the people who helped make “The Kelly Clarkson Show” a success over seven seasons.
According to the outlet, Duda, Clarkson, and the team decided to make the final curtain call a “Kelly by Request” episode. During the special, some of Clarkson’s biggest fans and people touched by the show’s charitable efforts requested songs from the singer’s catalog.
Some of the songs Clarkson performed include her greatest hits, “Since U Been Gone” and “Stronger,” as well as her new single, “I’d Be Lying.” She also sang the “most requested” Kellyoke track, “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Throughout the taping, audience members were also constantly reminded that they were indeed the “last audience to see Kelly on this stage,” PEOPLE noted.
“We just tried to make it be a celebration, especially that last episode, tried to make that be for the fans and help them help us say goodbye,” Duda added. “And for seven years, we listened to them like, ‘What songs did you want to hear and what moments did you want to see again?’ So it seemed like the right thing to do was to do a whole show that was by request.”
Kelly Clarkson’s Special Finale Guests
Clarkson also had two very special guests in the audience during the final taping, which she described as “bittersweet.” PEOPLE reported that the singer’s two children, River Rose, 12, and Remington Alexander, 10, whom she shares with her late ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, were there to support her during the finale.
The finale of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” featured throwback clips of Clarkson’s kids from their time on the show.
“It’s been seven years. We haven’t changed a bit, but when you look at River and Remy, you know time has gone by because they’re almost grown up and they did so great. They did so great,” Duda added.
Toward the end of the show, Clarkson’s children shared their favorite moments from the series, including “watching her shine.”
Clarkson’s daytime run came to an emotional close with thunderous applause, on-stage photos with the crew, and a staff party filled with “bawling and reminiscing,” according to Duda.
“I hope we made things a little bright. Especially in the pandemic, we felt that things were so dark that if we can control this one hour and make the sun shine, then we’ve accomplished something,” the showrunner added. “And how do you do that? Like I said, music was our touch point all the time.”
