Kelly Clarkson got sentimental while celebrating the 1,000th episode of her titular talk show.
In a heartfelt speech at the start of Thursday’s milestone episode, the Daytime Emmy winner looked back on her journey as a TV host, discussing the many “ups and downs” that she and her fans have experienced since the show’s 2019 debut.
“We created a community and supported each other through a lot,” said the 42-year-old “American Idol” winner. “For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together … celebrated and competed together … and along the way, we’ve found comfort in one another.”
In addition to referencing the pandemic, Clarkson also nodded to her own personal struggles, saying she has lost “a lot” through the years.
While she didn’t clarify what exactly she was referring to, many viewers assumed she was at least partly alluding to the end of her marriage to former manager Brandon Blackstock.
Clarkson and Blackstock wed in October 2013 and split in the summer of 2020, ending with a contentious divorce. The former couple share two young kids.
Early last year, Clarkson also opened up on the difficult time in a cover story for People.
“I was going through a really rough few years, and even in the first season [of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’] it was rough behind closed doors,” she said. “Just to be able to come into season 5 feeling good and knowing my kids feel good — and the dust has settled. Season 5 is my first season to actually enjoy every minute of it.”
Her talk show, which began in Los Angeles, relocated to New York City in the fall of 2023 as Clarkson embarked on her new life as a single mom.
Clarkson’s emotional speech on Thursday came in the wake of multiple unexplained absences from the daytime hit. She stepped away for two weeks earlier this month for “private” reasons, with several celebrities friends taking over the role of host.