American Idol witnessed a major shakeup with Katy Perry's announcement of leaving the judge's panel. Fans racked their brains and turned their hopeful eyes towards the show's former champion Kelly Clarkson. A Clarkson return seemed like the show would get another chance to shine. However, in a surprising turn of events, Kelly Clarkson has officially declined the offer. “No. No. I can't do that,” Clarkson quipped while attending an award event on Friday.”

Kelly Clarkson won’t replace Katy Perry on American idol

Fresh off her win at the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards for her talk show, Kelly Clarkson – the original American Idol champion from way back in 2002 – graced the red carpet. But amidst the talk of her success, she dropped a surprising piece of news to Entertainment Tonight's reporter, While she has a packed schedule lined up for the rest of the year, returning to American Idol as a judge simply isn't in the cards. And the reason behind it? It turns out to be a very sweet one.

Why Kelly Clarkson is saying no to judge American Idol

While judging a show as great and successful as American Idol might be a dream for many singers, for Clarkson, her kids are the priority right now. "No. No. I can't do that, only because I promised my kids. I was like, 'I want to be there as much as I possibly can,'" she told ET when asked about the possibility of replacing Katy Perry on the show. "It would put me in L.A., and that's why I had to quit The Voice, which I love. I miss that team so much." Perry earlier announced exiting the show to focus more on her music career.

Clarkson served as a coach on The Voice from seasons 14 to 21 and made a brief return for season 23. She later admitted in 2023 that the ongoing issues with her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, majorly impacted her time on the show. This made her believe it was crucial to move her family. Clarkson has two kids, River Rose, who is 9 years old, and Remington, who is 8.

“I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,” Clarkson confessed at the time. “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. I love that family, but I was like, ‘I’m struggling. I can’t smile anymore. I don’t feel like smiling.” She added.

Following a fruitful journey to shed pounds and a fresh image boost, the popular talk show host relocated her program from LA to New York for its fifth season. Kelly Clarkson, in an interview with ET prior to the show's start, disclosed that the relocation was a big win for her and her family.

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