After waving goodbye to The Voice, Kelly Clarkson has opened up about her struggles behind the scenes. In a new interview with USA Today, the TV star, 41, explained that while she cherished her time with the cast and crew, she'd taken on more than she could handle and "couldn't be in LA" anymore.
"I've learned a lot about what I'm capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying 'bye' to 'The Voice' and having this big move," said Kelly. "I love that family, but I was like, 'I'm struggling. I can't smile anymore. I don't feel like smiling.'
Following her departure from The Voice, the mom-of-two has since relocated to New York – which is also the home of her hit talk show. The big move saw Kelly bidding adieu to the luxurious mansion she had acquired for $5.4 million, post her divorce from Brandon Blackstock in 2021.
While little is known about the 41-year-old's New York pad, we expect it'll be a convenient distance from her new office – aka the studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Clearly, the move to the Big Apple has had a positive impact on both Kelly and her family, with the songstress admitting that she's in a "great place" now.
"What's cool for me with Season 5 [of The Kelly Clarkson Show] is I am in such a great place, not only with my kids, but with me personally and with the show," she added to USA Today.
"I feel like a weight has lifted. That move was very needed. I think the thing I'm most excited about with Season 5, on a selfish level, is just showing up to work smiling and actually meaning it. That's a beautiful gift that you don't realize until you're out of it."
Kelly has since returned to our screens with the first episode of season five, which premiered on Monday. Of course, the hostess with the mostess had to kick off her new season – and era – with a bang, and she did so with the help of some very familiar faces.
The season five premiere kicked off as all episodes do, with a Kellyoke, though this time around it started with a view of Central Park of course, before Kelly went around singing her new song "I Won't Give Up," as she made her long-awaited arrival to NBC studios.
As she went around greeting the building's doormen, vendors and more, she received a warm welcome from fellow NBC mainstays Lester Holt, Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, who ushered her into studio 6A, where Andy Cohen was waiting to introduce her.
"I love you, I'm so excited to be here," Kelly said, as she addressed her excited audience. "It is so great to finally be back on the air… We get to do our show again.
"And from our new home, this is such an iconic building, 30 Rockefeller Center. I can't believe I got to not only move here but work from here. It is such a blessing." We couldn't be happier for Kelly, and with that exciting first episode, the future looks brighter than ever.