Kelly Clarkson’s 12-word secret to getting through her darkest days

Kelly Clarkson’s award-winning talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, came to an end after seven seasons on September 1, and she left her fans with a very valuable piece of advice. 

The Since U Been Gone hitmaker – who has gone through a difficult few years following the loss of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock – closed out the final show alongside her beloved children, River, 12, and Remington, ten, where she spoke about life, and responding to difficult moments. 

She said: “For seven years, I’ve ended each episode by saying, ‘Have a great day. And if it’s not, change it.'” “I say that because, while we have to accept that life is totally out of our control, each moment, though, truly depends on how we choose to respond and react to it. ‘You don’t have to attend the negative party you were invited to,’ I’ve been told by a therapist. So there ya go.” 

She continued: “If you remind yourself once a day that you have that choice to respond [with] how you really want to be and who you really are inside, I promise that habit is going to become a part of you, and your life will respond to you in return.” 

The mother-of-two continued: “I loved being in your homes each day. Have a great day, and if it’s not ― change it!” The Kelly Clarkson Show premiered on September 9, 2019, and ran for seven successful seasons. It has been filmed in NYC since 2013 after she made the decision to move to the East Coast for a fresh start with her family. The show recently received 11 Daytime Emmy nominations for the upcoming awards, which will take place on October 30. 

Kelly is leaving her talk show to spend more time with her children, following her death of their father Brandon in 2025. Following Brandon’s death, Kelly made the decision to step down from her role on The Kelly Clarkson Show, to prioritize her two children. 

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In a statement in 2025, she said: “Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives. This isn’t goodbye. I’ll still be making music, playing shows here and there, and you may catch me on The Voice from time to time…you never know where I might show up next.” 

© Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via G

She further added during an appearance on Today: “Well, I think everybody probably gets the timing, but…yeah, our family life, the dynamic changed a bit, and it has changed for a minute now,” she said. “I think it’s just – you’ve got kids, we’ve all got kids, right? – It’s one of those things when you kinda start seeing life as how precious it is, too.” 

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Kelly will now be focusing on new music, as well as returning as a coach for The Voice season 30. It was announced in May that Kelly would be coming back to the popular NBC talent show in an announcement shared on social media. 

It read: “Team Kelly has RE-entered the chat. Kelly Clarkson returns as a Coach this fall on The Voice! on NBC and streaming on Peacock.” The star first joined the show for season 14 and during her time as a full-time coach, secured huge wins with Brynn Cartelli (season 14), Chevel Shepherd (season 15), and Girl Named Tom (season 21).