Kelly Clarkson took a brief pause during her Las Vegas residency concert on Friday night to drop a sarcastic career update. Speaking directly to the crowd, the pop star joked that she was “fired” by NBC. The quip immediately sparked laughter from the audience as she playfully added that she doesn’t work there anymore.
The punchline lands right in the middle of her daytime television exit. Clarkson is currently airing the final episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show, which is set to officially wrap up its run in late 2026. The departure was entirely her own choice, announced back in February as a family decision that would allow her to step away from the grueling daily broadcast schedule and prioritize her children.
Clarkson’s joke about being cut from the network roster is purely comedic. She remains deeply tied to NBC and recently returned to the network as a coach for Season 29 of The Voice. Her talk show also leaves behind a heavy legacy. The syndicated series just secured 11 nominations for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards.
That upcoming awards ceremony will put Clarkson in direct competition with The View, LIVE with Kelly and Mark, and The Drew Barrymore Show for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series. She already holds eight Daytime Emmy wins across the show’s seven-season run. The final string of episodes will continue airing through the fall.