Kelly Clarkson has made huge moves in television today, after it was announced that she’ll be taking over Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime television slot.
Kelly, who hosts her own daytime talk show – The Kelly Clarkson Show – currently in its second season, will move on to DeGeneres’ long-held time slot from 2022.
The news comes after DeGeneres announced she would be retiring her talk show after almost two decades on air.
“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,” said Tracie Wilson, the executive vice president of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, in a press statement.
“We’re working on some big plans for season three and are looking forward to becoming the premier show in daytime for years to come.”
DeGeneres’ announcement came earlier this month, following allegations of a toxic work environment that surfaced last year. However, in a recent interview, DeGeneres said that the controversy didn’t impact her decision and had been in the works for years.
“I was going to stop after season 16. That was going to be my last season, and they wanted to sign for four more years and I said I’d sign maybe for one,” she said.
“They were saying there was no way to sign for one. ‘We can’t do that with the affiliates and the stations need more of a commitment.’ So, we [settled] on three more years, and I knew that would be my last. That’s been the plan all along. And everybody kept saying, even when I signed, “You know, that’s going to be 19, don’t you want to just go to 20? It’s a good number.” So is 19.”
It shouldn’t come as too much of a shock that Clarkson is taking on DeGeneres’ spot, considering that its first season debuted to strong ratings in 2019.
