Kelly Clarkson recently shared how she felt about the idea of replacing Katy Perry on American Idol.
As the first winner of the singing competition show, Clarkson would make a great judge on the series. However, when asked whether she would consider replacing Perry, who recently retired from the position, Clarkson rejected the idea.
“No. No. I can’t do that, only because I promised my kids,” she told Entertainment Tonight.
“I was like, ‘I wanna be there as much as I possibly can.’ And it would put me in L.A., and that’s why I had to quit The Voice, which I love that team,” she continued. “And I miss them so much.”
The “Since U Been Gone” singer shares two children with her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
Kelly Clarkson Shuts Down the Idea of Replacing Katy Perry on ‘American Idol’
After shutting down the potential of working with American Idol, Kelly Clarkson noted that she left The Voice, another singing competition series, in 2023 to relocate to New York with her family.
“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,” she told USA Today at the time. “I’ve learned a lot about what I’m capable of handling and also what you should not handle. That was me saying ‘bye’ to The Voice and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, ‘I’m struggling. I can’t smile anymore. I don’t feel like smiling.'”
She also added that her move to New York put her in “such a great place, not only with my kids but with me personally and with [The Kelly Clarkson Show].”
“I feel like a weight has lifted,” she continued. “That move was very needed. I think the thing I’m most excited about with season 5 [of The Kelly Clarkson Show], on a selfish level, is just showing up to work smiling and actually meaning it. That’s a beautiful gift that you don’t realize until you’re out of it.”