Kelly Clarkson is showing her strength amid a deeply challenging time for her family, returning to host The Kelly Clarkson Show for its first episode since the death of Brandon Blackstock.
More than a month after the singer’s ex-husband died at the age of 48 after a battle with cancer, Clarkson opened her first show back on Monday (Sept. 29) with a Kellyoke cover of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights. “It’s a perfect song to kick us off,” she explained to the audience, according to Rolling Stone. “Light has been a constant theme for us on this show since the beginning. We’ve seen a lot in the past six years, and sometimes the world can be very heavy.”
“But I’ve always said, my favorite part of doing this job, and I stand by it, is finding the light and shining it on people are really trying to make a difference and just trying to make the world better place,” she added.
Elsewhere in the show, Clarkson interviewed Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, as well as sat down with bus drivers who rescued hundreds of kids during the deadly Texas floods in July. The episode marked the beginning of The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s seventh season.
Blackstock’s death was announced on Aug. 7 via a statement from his company, Starstruck Entertainment, which was co-founded by his father, Narvel Blackstock. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” it read. “He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family.”
Clarkson hasn’t spoken much about the death of her ex, to whom she was married for seven years and with whom she shares two children. The day prior to Brandon’s passing, however, she postponed her Las Vegas residency dates and told fans, “While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show first launched in 2019. Six seasons later, the show has won eight Daytime Emmys, and it is nominated for two more in 2025.
Leading up to the premiere of season 7, Clarkson rolled out her Songs & Stories series featuring the Jonas Brothers, Gloria Estefan, Lizzo, Teddy Swims and Alanis Morissette.