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By Daniella Gray
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Kelly Clarkson will be hosting the very last season of her talk show as she plans to leave to prioritize her children.
The 43-year-old mom to River Rose, 11, and 9-year-old Remington Alexander, shared an Instagram post thanking her fans and crew for their support over the years.
"Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives," she wrote to her 8 million Instagram followers.
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Her ex-husband and father of her two children, Brandon Blackstock, died of cancer last August aged 48.
The Kelly Clarkson Show started in 2019 and has featured a number of big names, including Drew Barrymore, Simu Liu, Paris Hilton, Amanda Seyfried, Madison Beer and Matt Damon.
"This isn’t goodbye," Clarkson added. "I’ll still be making music, playing shows here and there, and you may catch me on The Voice from time to time…you never know where I might show up next."
Among the thousands of comments, fellow A-listers—including Kerry Washington, Julia Michaels and Carla Hall—showed support for Clarkson, who said the decision to step down was not an easy one.
Parenting experts told Newsweek that this seems like a healthy decision for the mom of two, especially now as she is the default parent.
Nicole Runyon, a psychotherapist and parent coach, said that, while her kids may no longer need to be tucked in every night, they still require guidance and support.
"I think Kelly is following her natural motherly instincts because she is noticing they need her more at those ages," Runyon said. “[They’re] at the perfect age for her to step back from work and focus on them. The middle childhood years (9 to 12 years old) go by fast, and, if done right, yield confident, independent, and resilient teens and young adults."
Clinical psychologist Dr. Anna Batho told Newsweek that having more of a parent’s presence after a loss can be deeply reassuring.
With Clarkson’s children at 9 and 11, Batho described this stage as a "perfect storm," where they will be facing tougher school demands, early signs of puberty and growing social pressures.
"The challenge for Kelly will be that, at this age, they will be becoming more and more independent and therefore may not want to ask for help and won't want to be seen as different from their peers," Batho said. She added that this puts the responsibility on parents to notice subtle cues and respond with sensitivity.
Batho said that having normal routines is still important for grieving children, but having a consistently available caregiver matters.
While stepping back from work might not be necessary for every parent, it can be understandable.
"I know a lot of successful working mothers, and the one feature which unites them all is mom guilt at not being there enough," Batho said.
"Taking time out of a career is one way to assuage the guilt and deal with the source head-on. When we lose control over life events, keeping what matters to us close can keep our heads above water through the tough times."
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