Kelly Clarkson‘s daytime talk show will fill the time slot vacated by Ellen DeGeneres‘ when its 19th and final season concludes next year. However, Clarkson is making it clear she doesn’t want to be compared to the talk show legend — or anyone, for that matter.
In a candid conversation with The New York Times, the singer expressed, “No one can take over for Ellen. It’s an iconic show.”
“I’m never going to be Whitney Houston — I’m never going to be Cyndi Lauper, Reba or Trisha [Yearwood] or Mariah [Carey],” Clarkson further declared. “I’m going to be me. I think that’s fine. There’s room for everyone at the table.”
The Kelly Clarkson show, now in its third season, draws an average daily audience of 1.3 million viewers, which currently puts it ahead of Ellen‘s totals. Clarkson credits her hosting chops to her time on American Idol, saying it prepared her to helm something as chaotic as a daytime television talk show.
“We were on TV all the time,” she cracked. “Doing random things — being interviewed, interviewing other people, doing skits.” Those unscripted moments, Kelly says, desensitized her to having a camera in her face and even inspired her be a little bit unpredictable.
“I don’t really feel pressure from that. That can be scary for other people sometimes, like, ‘Oh God, what’s she going to say?'” Clarkson laughed.
However, her biggest hurdle came last year, when she shot her show remotely from her Montana cabin because of the pandemic.
“We were in the middle of nowhere…I’m in snow up to my thighs. And I’m like, well, I have a camera,” she recalled. “I’m trying to be America’s cheerleader. And I never completely broke down about it, but I definitely laughed hysterically at several moments.”
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