Kelly Clarkson discovers a shark named in her honour

Kelly Clarkson recently learned she has an unexpected namesake.

The revelation came in a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the singer and talk show host welcomed Andrea Clulow, a former preschool teacher, and her husband, Darrell Clulow, who are working to educate children about sharks through their organisation and new children’s book, Finn & Friends. 

The couple appeared on the show to discuss their mission of promoting shark conservation and reducing fear around the often-misunderstood animals.

As Clarkson introduced the segment, she noted that while sharks are frequently viewed as frightening, they are also essential to ocean ecosystems. That led Andrea to share a personal story with a link to the host.

Andrea explained that during a research expedition the previous summer, she and her husband had the opportunity to help tag and adopt a shark as part of a conservation effort. The shark, a female, was named “Kelly Sharkson” in honour of Clarkson. This revelation left the singer surprised.

The project, Andrea explained, was inspired in part by a widely reported shark attack off the coast of Australia in 2022. Wanting to shift the narrative around sharks, the couple focused on teaching children empathy rather than fear.

“I wrote a story about this shark and his ocean friends,” Andrea said, adding that the goal was for kids to see sharks as animals deserving understanding and protection, not monsters.

Darrell emphasised that Finn & Friends was designed to be interactive and encourage children to engage with the story rather than reading it once and moving on. A portion of the book’s proceeds will support shark research, ocean conservation, and educational initiatives.