The host is taking 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' to the Big Apple.
East coast-bound! Kelly Clarkson is taking her eponymous talk show to New York City, all in the name of family.
It was first announced in early May that Clarkson would be moving The Kelly Clarkson Show from its longtime home in Los Angeles to Manhattan, and now the pop superstar and daytime talk show host is explaining the reasons for the big switch.
Speaking with TalkShopLive recently, Clarkson explained that she first broke the news of the move to her staff back in January.
"I talked to them because I was like, 'Guys, I need you to know what’s happening. It’s either I’m not going to be able to continue the show or I gotta go East Coast,'" Clarkson recalled.
The singer explained that, during the coronavirus pandemic, she realized "being isolated and so far from your family… that’s not good for anyone."
"My family is East Coast, they’re North Carolina based. So it was one of those things where I just had to," she shared, adding that there were "a lot of personal things going on, too."
Clarkson said that it was important for her and her family to relocate and that they "really needed a fresh start." She praised NBC for supporting the decision, and recalled telling the network execs, "'I know we can’t do this from my ranch so any chance we could do it in New York? It's at least closer to my family.' That was really the main reason."
The Kelly Clarkson Show will relocate this fall and will set up shop at NBC Studios in Manhattan's 30 Rockefeller Center, an NBCUniversal spokesperson confirmed to ET earlier this month. Clarkson's show will film in Studio 6A with a live studio audience.
The daytime talk show has been based out of the Universal City lot in Los Angeles since its debut in 2019.
The news marks a major move for Clarkson and the syndicated talk show, which was renewed through 2025 back in November. Currently in its fourth season, The Kelly Clarkson Show opened its last two seasons with special week-long stints out of New York City.
The news of the cross-country move was followed days later by the publication of a Rolling Stone exposé in which 11 current and former staffers at The Kelly Clarkson Show claimed that the show is "a toxic work environment."
Clarkson took to Instagram shortly after the publication of the article to address the claims.
"In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I've always led with my heart and what I believed to be right," she wrote. "I love my team at The Kelly Clarkson Show, and to find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable. I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show. As we prepare for a move to the east coast, I am more committed than ever to not only ensure that our team that is moving, but also our new team in NY, is comprised of the best and kindest in the business."
"Part of that build will include leadership training for all of the senior staff, including myself," she continued. "There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best version of ourselves in any business, especially when it comes to leadership, to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated."
While the exposé included claims that the staff was overworked and underpaid, and that the conditions caused their mental health to suffer, Clarkson herself was described as "fantastic."
"Kelly has no clue how unhappy her staff is," one former employee told the outlet, with a second employee describing The Voice coach as "a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative."
"I would be shocked if she knew," the second ex-employee said. "I'd be floored if she knew the staff wasn't getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that."
Indeed, a source told ET that Clarkson "was completely shielded by the executive producers from everything" going on at her show.
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