Kelly Clarkson is revealing some secrets about her time on โAmerican Idolโ and โThe Voice.โ
On March 27, the talk show host appeared as a guest on the โNot Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelceโ podcast. During the sit-down, Clarkson reflected on her career, from her start as the first-ever winner of โAmerican Idolโ in 2002 until now.ย
When chatting about the singer capturing the countryโs heart on Season One of โAmerican Idol,โ Kelce read a tweet from a fan that said, โItโs wild to me that ‘American Idol’ found Americaโs best vocalist on their FIRST TRY.โ
Clarkson laughed after hearing the compliment before revealing that she views her time on the show differently than her fans.ย
โI didnโt even know it was a TV show until my third audition,โ she shared. โNobody knew it was going to amount to anything.โ
After the show, Clarkson went on to release hits like โSince U Been Goneโ and โBreakawayโ and win three Grammys before returning to the singing competition world. In 2018, she became a coach on Season 14 of NBCโs โThe Voice.โ She remained in her spinning red chair until Season 21. Clarkson then took a short break and coached again in Season 23, marking her final season as a coach.ย
โI wouldnโt have stopped doing the show had I not moved across the country and been a single mom of two,โ she explained, referring to her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in 2022.ย
Although Clarkson bonded with fellow coach Jennifer Hudson, she said that there were some coaches who previously โhatedโ singing competition shows and contestants like herself.ย
โMost of the time, all the coaches are incredible. But sometimes itโs like, โOh, OK, youโre treating them less than,โ she shared, without naming names.ย
โPeople that were really mean have been coaches,โ she continued.
The 42-year-old said she likely wonโt return to โThe Voiceโ any time soon. Clarkson opened up about exiting the show in an interview with USA Today in 2023.ย
โFull disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,โ she said at the time. โIโve learned a lot about what Iโm capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying โbyeโ to โThe Voiceโ and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, โIโm struggling. I canโt smile anymore. I donโt feel like smiling.โโ
