Kelly Clarkson is getting candid with fans about why she hasn’t been hitting the road lately.
During her concert in Atlantic City, N.J., on Friday (May 9), the 43-year-old pop star and TV personality told the crowd that touring isn’t realistic right now due to the demanding schedule of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’cause I have a talk show. It’s like a whole other job,” Clarkson said, referencing her band, according to Page Six. The Grammy winner also noted that being a single mother takes up much of her time.
Still, Clarkson expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform two nights at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena — her first live shows in nearly six months.
“We are bummed ’cause we love doing shows, and it’s hard to fit it in, so it’s cool when it does work out with the schedule,” the American Idol alum told the audience. “And it’s cool to get to see your faces and feed off y’all. Thank you so much for having so much energy.”
Her 90-minute set included fan-favorite hits such as “My Life Would Suck Without You,” “Because of You,” “Breakaway,” “Miss Independent,” “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and “Since U Been Gone.” It marked her first full-length concert since November 2024.
Clarkson hasn’t embarked on a full tour since 2019. In the years since, she has booked Las Vegas residencies — including shows at PH Live at Planet Hollywood in 2023 and 2024. Earlier this year, she announced a new Vegas residency, Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The show opens July 4 and runs through July and August, with additional dates scheduled for November.
In March, Clarkson celebrated the milestone 1,000th episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. The daytime program, which launched in 2019, was renewed by NBC Owned Television Stations for a seventh season in December 2024. Her contract is set to expire next year, Page Six reports.
The show has earned 22 Daytime Emmy Awards, including eight individual wins for Clarkson herself. Most recently, it won outstanding daytime talk series for the fourth consecutive year at the 2024 Daytime Emmys.
Now in its sixth season, The Kelly Clarkson Show averages 1.2 million viewers per day and remains one of the top syndicated talk shows in the country, airing on more than 200 stations nationwide.