Kelly Clarkson has taped the final episode of her self-named talk show. The final episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show will air this Monday (August 31).
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The final show, prerecorded on June 5, was an homage to the famed talk show host. The show, dubbed "Kelly By Request," included several of Clarkson's superfans as well as the recipients of several charitable donations that she has made since the show aired in September 2019.
"We just tried to make it be a celebration, especially that last episode, tried to make that be for the fans and help them help us say goodbye," Kelly Clarkson Show showrunner Alex Duda said to PEOPLE. "And for seven years, we listened to them like, 'What songs did you want to hear and what moments did you want to see again?' So it seemed like the right thing to do was to do a whole show that was by request."
Clarkson Pays Homage to Fans During Final Show Taping
The Kelly By Request format was on brand for how she ran the show, according to Duda. When speaking to the outlet, the showrunner raved about Kelly's ability to be a "connector" through the talk show. Not only with the audience, but with her guests as well. And that made the show's connection to audiences across the country feel more authentic.
"She was a connector. We learned that very early on," Duda added. "The way she connected to people — that's why we knew we wanted a format where people sat on the couch next to each other, the celebrity next to the human-interest guest, because when you do that, extraordinary moments can happen that you won't see anywhere else."
Clarkson called the taping of the finale "bittersweet," and it is completely understandable why she would feel that way. Several former entertainers have made the transition from the music studio to the television studio, trying their hand at daytime television. But few have made the impact that The Kelly Clarkson Show has. The show has racked up 24 Daytime Emmy Awards since it aired seven years ago.
