Kelly Clarkson is one of the most bankable music stars in modern day history. Starting her career as the winner of the first season of American Idol, the prolific songwriter has amassed millions of record sales, two Grammy Awards, and dozens of other accolades.
In addition to her amazing singing portfolio, she's also become a prominent talk show host and a television star. In recent news, her Kelly Clarkson Show is set to replace the long-running Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show slot in 2022, as the latter is set for its final season next year. How did she go from American Idol to dethroning one of the most prominent hosts of all time?
10 Early 2000s: Appeared As An Extra For Several TV Series
Before Kelly Clarkson became who we know today, she was an aspiring singer trying to make her breakthrough in the early 2000s. The Texan native appeared as an extra in several shows, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Dharma & Greg. Years later, she invited Henry Winkler, her director in Sabrina, to her show.
9 2002: Won 'American Idol'
Kelly Clarkson competed in the first season of American Idol in 2002. She was pit against Justin Guarini in the final round where she won first place and a recording contract with RCA, 19 Recordings, and Simon Fuller's S Records. However, not too long after her debut album broke, she tried to distance herself from the American Idol image and parted ways with Fuller.
8 2003: Made Her Movie Debut With 'From Justin To Kelly'
A year later, Kelly Clarkson made her film debut with the musical rom-com From Justin to Kelly. Story-wise, it's about a waitress and a college student who cross paths and eventually share their love of singing. Unfortunately, she didn't "like" the movie that much, and it flunked both critically and commercially.
7 2004: Placed Second At 'World Idol'
As the winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson automatically joined World Idol in 2004. As the title suggests, it's a one-off talent show that pits Idol winners from several countries, including Germany, Australia, Norway, UK, the US, Netherlands, Poland, and more. She came in second place, after losing against Kurt Nielsen from Norway.
6 2012: Competed In 'Duets'
In 2012, Clarkson joined John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, and Robin Thicke for nine episodes of Duets. As the title suggests, it pits several aspiring singers against each other by partnering them up with the "seniors." Clarkson partnered with Jordan Meredith from Wisconsin and Jason Farol from California, with the latter coming third.
5 2013: Starred In A Christmas TV Special
A year later, Kelly Clarkson debuted her Christmas TV special Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale under NBC. Starring the likes of Jay Leno, Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and more, the special was loosely based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Accomplishment-wise, the special gained her a Gold World Medal for Best Variety Special in the New York Festival's International Television and Film Awards.
4 2017: Became A Regular On 'The Voice'
After serving as a guest mentor for Blake Shelton in Season 2 of The Voice, Kelly Clarkson joined the star-studded judging panel as a regular for Season 14 in 2018 where she say alongside Adam Levine, Alicia Keys, and Shelton. Since then, she's continued her venture as a judge until now. At least three of her former "students" won the competition: Brynn Cartelli in Season 14, Chevel Shepherd in Season 15, and Jake Hoot in Season 17.
3 2019: Hosted Her Own Daytime Talk Show
Following her TV success with The Voice, she signed a lucrative deal with NBC for her daytime variety talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. The first episode premiered on September 9, 2019.
"I love connecting with people, playing games, music, and finding ways to help or give back to communities/organizations," said the singer about her talk show debut. "Having my own talk show where I get to do all of these things is pretty much a dream job!"
2 2020: Won Daytime Emmy Awards
The hard work Kelly Clarkson put into The Kelly Clarkson Show did not go unnoticed. She won the Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host, Outstanding Lightning Direction, and Best Art Direction. In addition to that, she also garnered a Critics' Choice Television Awards nomination for Best Talk Show in 2020, although she lost to Late Night with Seth Meyers.
1 2021: Gearing Up To Replace Ellen DeGeneres' Long-Running Show
Now, after a series of controversies surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the legendary host decided to put her talk show to rest next year. The Kelly Clarkson Show will take over Ellen's daytime slot by fall of 2022, as revealed by Deadline. Currently in its second season, the singer has signed a deal for two more seasons to keep the show until at least 2023.
"The Kelly Clarkson Show is one of the most optimistic success stories in first-run syndication,” said Tracie Wilson, the executive VP of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, according to Variety. “...Kelly and our entire production team put their heart, intent and incredible passion into making a show that resonates with people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. We’re working on some big plans for Season 3 and are looking forward to becoming the premier show in daytime for years to come.”