Why Kelly Clarkson Won't Replace Katy Perry on American Idol: 'I Promised My Kids'

• In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Kelly Clarkson explained why she's not looking to replace Katy Perry on the American Idol judging panel
• The "California Gurls" singer exited the singing competition show last month after seven seasons
• Clarkson cited her kids and last year's move to New York as her main reasons for turning down the job

The search for American Idol’s next judge continues following Katy Perry’s exit, but there’s one star fans definitely won’t see on the panel next season.

Kelly Clarkson, the first-ever winner of the singing competition series, shut down the idea of returning to the show to replace the “California Gurls” star while speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the 51st Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, June 7. Her main reason? Being around to raise her two kids, daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remington "Remy" Alexander, 8.

“No. No. I can’t do that, only because I promised my kids,” the daytime talk show host, 42, said of taking over Perry’s gig. “I was like, ‘I wanna be there as much as I possibly can.’ And it would put me in L.A.”

The “Since U Been Gone” singer explained that her children — whom she shares with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock — are also why she exited her coaching role on The Voice in 2023 after nine seasons, as she relocated her family and self-titled talk show to New York.

“That’s why I had to quit [the show],” she added to ET, “which I love that team. And I miss them so much.”

Clarkson opened up about her decision to leave The Voice last year in an interview with USA Today, sharing that she was stressed throughout her last four seasons on the show.

“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life," she admitted. "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.'”

The performer noted that her move to New York ahead of The Kelly Clarkson Show’s fifth season put her in “such a great place, not only with my kids but with me personally and with the show.”

“I feel like a weight has lifted,” she added. “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."

Clarkson’s show picked up its fifth win at the 2024 Daytime Emmys last week, snagging an award for outstanding daytime talk series. The performer herself was also nominated for outstanding daytime talk series host. In her acceptance speech, the Breakaway singer thanked NBC for listening to her request to move the show to New York and for “thinking of mental health as a product.”

“It's important to say that not everybody really thinks about what's going on behind the scenes," Clarkson said on stage. "The fact that NBC, a huge company, took time and listened when I said, ‘Hey, my life is not going super great. I don't know if I can live here anymore. I don't know if I can do this.' They really wrapped their arms around us, and they helped us move.”

While Clarkson told ET she isn’t adding American Idol judge to her list of “big things” coming up this year, there are a few stars who have thrown their name in the hat. Last week, judge Luke Bryan told the outlet Pink, Miley Cyrus and Meghan Trainor have all come up in conversation. Country star Jelly Roll also said he’d “of course” consider replacing Perry after she brought up his name in an E! News interview. 

“Consider?! I’ve accepted the job, and they haven’t offered it,” he joked to Audacy last month.