Kelly Clarkson recently reached quite an impressive milestone on her award-winning talk show, as her 1,000th episode aired as part of the 2025 TV schedule. The American Idol alum remains one of the most beloved personalities on daytime TV, which is exactly why it’s so hard to believe she could be leaving. Behind-the-scenes issues and Clarkson’s unexplained absences have had fans worried, and now there’s even a name that’s been floated as her possible replacement.
The newest rumor regarding the oh-so-relatable Kelly Clarkson potentially not renewing her contract when it expires next year suggests that another woman very familiar to NBC audiences could take over the coveted timeslot — none other than Hoda Kotb. According to a source for the New York Post:
There’s a long list of names and Hoda is part of that list. NBC never wanted Hoda to leave. The question is would Hoda want to do it?
Hoda Kotb shocked fans by leaving The Today Show earlier this year, saying she wanted to spend more time with her two young daughters. Being able to focus more on her own two children is allegedly one of the reasons Kelly Clarkson might be looking to leave daytime TV; however, the schedule might be one that Kotb finds much more accommodating than what she was used to on the NBC morning show.
While I’m sure NBCUniversal would be thrilled to have Hoda Kotb back, I would imagine their preference would be to keep Kelly Clarkson from leaving in the first place. In its five completed seasons, The Kelly Clarkson Show has racked up 22 Daytime Emmy Awards, including Clarkson winning for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host four out of those five seasons. The network was even willing to move the show from Los Angeles to New York for Clarkson in 2023.
However, rumors started swirling when the host missed several episodes in March and April, giving no explanation for why Simu Liu and other celebs were stepping in for her. The absences were later reported to be due to a “family emergency,”
Whether or not there is something going on in her personal life that requires more focus is unknown, but we do know that Kelly Clarkson has other projects in the works. She’s got a residency scheduled at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with dates in July, August and November, and in June she will release a new album — which will include a song inspired by Only Murders in the Building.
In fact the insider suggested the future of The Kelly Clarkson Show could hinge on the success (or lack thereof) of that album, as they said:
If the album doesn’t do well, she might want to keep her talk show. But she has a lot going on and the timing may be right for the next chapter.
I certainly don’t want to believe that Kelly Clarkson is ready to end her popular talk show, and the fact that Hoda Kotb’s name has allegedly come up as a possible replacement doesn’t make me feel better (as much as I love Kotb). Sources said other people who could potentially be up for the spot include Wanda Sykes, Willie Geist, Molly Sims, Roy Wood Jr., Josh Groban and Maria Shriver.
Kelly Clarkson’s contract takes her through 2026 and a seventh season of her talk show, so technically (hopefully) this isn’t something we need to worry about just yet. We’ll have to keep our ears out for any other rumblings in the meantime, though, as we continue to catch The Kelly Clarkson Show every weekday. Check your local listings for time and channel.