Kelly Clarkson Pegged To Be Next Ellen DeGeneres Pending Talk Show Host’s Retirement, Per ‘The Blast’
Kelly Clarkson has dipped her toes in a number of realms from singing to writing children’s books, and now she’s gearing up for a new adventure — to serve as a talk show host. And according to a report from the Blast, some people are so confident in the singer’s next career route that they’re pegging her to be the next Ellen DeGeneres, pending the talk show host’s potential retirement some time within the next five years.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the notable daytime talk show host has been considering putting an end to her show, one which she has been hosting since 2003. In a recent interview with the New York Times, she revealed that while she ended up extending her contract until 2020, she almost didn’t — implying that at the end of her new contract, Ellen DeGeneres may take her career in a different direction
And while 2020 is still a considerable amount of time away, sources familiar with the situation tell the Blast that network executives already have a “clear favorite” for who they want to take over Ellen’s coveted mid-afternoon spot in the daytime line-up — American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson.
Kelly is not a newcomer to the hosting gig, taking on the position for the Billboard Music Awards in May of this year, where she was applauded for an amazing musical opening sequence — as well as for speaking out about gun violence.
In September, it was announced that Kelly would make her debut into the daytime talk show realm with The Kelly Clarkson Show in Fall 2019, which is slated to be “an hour full of remarkable stories, celebrity guests, spontaneous surprises, humor, heart and, of course, good music.” The show is set to air on TV stations affiliated with the NBC network, as Ellen’s does, and will act as a lead-in to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
And while the news is exciting in-and-of itself, sources say network executives are particularly thrilled about Clarkson’s new role, and are grooming her to be Ellen’s replacement.
The Blast‘s insider revealed that those involved truly believe Kelly is “the superstar who can pull off replacing the big shoes that Ellen will leave behind.”
Ellen herself supports Kelly’s jump into daytime television. During an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April, Ellen turned the tables on the pop star and created a mock show for her to host in practice for her gig at the Billboard Awards.
Ellen noted at the beginning of the segment that she wants Kelly to be a talk show host, and that she would be a great one, at that.
