‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ in Talks to Move Production to East Coast

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” is exploring a move to the east coast’s New York metro Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), Variety has learned exclusively. The daytime show, which is renewed through 2025, has filmed in Los Angeles on the Universal lot since its launch in 2019.

A NBCU spokesperson confirmed to Variety that NBCUniversal is in negotiations to move the show to the east coast, but nothing is finalized. Sources close to the show say Clarkson asked NBCU to explore the move out of Los Angeles.

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” is currently in its fourth season and has been picked up through Season 6. The show will complete its current season on the Universal lot, before potentially making a move for the start of a fifth season next fall. Production hopes to maintain consistency and keep as many people on board as possible who have been with the show since the beginning.

The move would bring the superstar closer to family, but could also be a new adventure for the show, which continues to elevate and evolve, a production staffer explains to Variety. There may also be a better tax incentive, should the show move out of L.A.

The past two seasons of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” have produced its premiere weeks out of New York City, filming special shows from the Big Apple. It’s unclear whether the official move would be to Manhattan or elsewhere in the Tri-State area.

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” — hosted by the Grammy winner and original “American Idol” champion — has emerged as a rare success in the daytime space, which has struggled to launch many new years as the daytime audience has drastically diminished across the boards in recent years. Ahead of its current fourth season, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” landed the coveted time slot on the NBC-owned stations, previously held by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” For the 2022-2023 season, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” ranks #3 among daytime syndicated shows, only behind veterans “Live With Kelly and Ryan” and “Dr. Phil.” Clarkson’s show averages 1.37 million daily viewers, and has consecutively grown season-to-season. The show has also won 13 daytime Emmys.

In her Variety cover story last year, Clarkson shared her love for the talk show, explaining that it provided a new, unexpected career path, as well as a schedule that allows her to spend time with her two children. “The fact that I love my work and can have regular hours — for a mom, that’s so amazing. I’m very fortunate,” Clarkson said. “Yes, it’s a daytime talk show, but I think the reason why I could do it for years and years is because I’m able to do music, I’m able to talk to people, and my team makes it so easy. It’s such a blessing to be able to conquer all these different things.”

The singer and TV host — who has a new album coming this year, and has expressed her desire to tour again — said that if she did not have to be in Los Angeles for work, she would prefer to live elsewhere. “It’s nothing against L.A. It’s just hard for me to be in a place that has one season. I love rain, and I love storms. I’m just from a different place,” Clarkson said in the cover story. “It’s important to love your life – I love work and I love everybody I work with and I love my friends, but geographically speaking, that wouldn’t be my first choice.”

There’s no word on how the move might impact Clarkson’s role on “The Voice,” which shoots on the Universal lot in L.A. This spring, Clarkson is returning as a coach for the 23rd edition of the NBC music competition show, which will mark her ninth season in a spinning red chair, and will also see the departure of original coach, Blake Shelton. “The Voice” is known for playing musical chairs with a revolving door of A-list musician coaches, so it would not be out of the ordinary for Clarkson to take a hiatus. Should she want to continue with her role on the singing competition for any future seasons, scheduling could likely be worked out between “The Voice” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” given that Clarkson is integral talent at NBCU.

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” infuses celebrity interviews, panels, conversations with everyday people and Clarkson’s love for music. On each show, Clarkson sings a different song on her signature “Kellyoke” segment. Clarkson serves as an executive producer on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and Alex Duda is executive producer and showrunner.

Looking ahead at the syndicated space for the 2023-2024 season, renewals were announced this week for freshman talkers “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and Sherri Shepherd’s daytime show, “Sherri.”