Kelly Clarkson celebrates major milestone on her talk show with emotional speech

Kelly Clarkson had a touching moment on her talk show Thursday as she celebrated a major milestone - 1,000 episodes. 

The singer got emotional while watching a heartwarming video montage featuring her children, River, 10, and Remington, 8, making various appearances on the show.

“That was really sweet,” Clarkson said after the segment, visibly moved. “Oh, that was really sweet. And look, I kept it together you guys.” 

Clarkson then wiped away tears from her face as she continued to gush over her kids.

“River and Remy, I love you so much. I’m so proud of you both,” she said. “They’re just fearless and very bold. They’re more like me as an adult, not what I was like as a child, so they talk a lot too. You are what I’m liking today, my little ones, and every day I love them so much."

The host shares her children with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, whom she filed for divorce from in 2020 after almost seven years together. Their divorce was finalized in March 2022.

Despite the time that has passed, Clarkson’s kids have expressed that they’re not ready to see their mom with a new love interest yet. 

Clarkson opened up about this last November in an interview with KOST 103.5 radio personality Ellen K.

“I mean, I’ve explained to [my daughter] that ‘when Mommy’s ready, it’s OK. I’m allowed to do that,’” Clarkson said. “My kids, both of them, are not — they constantly bring it up: ‘Please, we don’t want you to be with anybody else.’ They’re young, so it’s hard to picture their mom with someone else other than their dad."

Clarkson returned to her talk show after a weeks-long absence due to a “personal matter” prior to Thursday’s historic episode. While she hasn’t discussed the circumstances surrounding her hiatus in detail, she gave an emotional speech during the milestone-marking event.

“We have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together. I’ve lost, alone, a lot,” Clarkson said. 

She quickly assured her audience that “it’s OK!” and reminded them of the “community” they have created.

Clarkson thanked her audience for lending and finding “comfort in one another” as she celebrated the show’s 1,000th episode.