Kelly Clarkson has officially returned to her eponymous talk show after mysteriously disappearing earlier this month.
The "Since U Been Gone" songstress returned to celebrate the 1000th show following her absence from a handful of March episodes, hosted instead by actor Simu Liu. Without addressing her worrisome absence, Clarkson began:
"Welcome to the Kelly Clarkson Show and our 1,000th episode. I cannot believe today marks the 1,000th. It’s crazy. We have met some hugely talented people, tons of big stars, and inspiring everyday heroes." The star highlighted the supportive community surrounding The Kelly Clarkson Show and the many "ups and downs" it has encountered since airing in September 2019 (per People).
"A lot of ups and downs personally as well," Clarkson remarked, mentioning the pandemic and moving the show to New York City. The "Stronger" hitmaker zoomed in on gratitude and loss, both personal and related to the show.
"For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together. I’ve lost, alone, a lot, And along the way, we found comfort in one another. And looking back, we are all incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the community we’ve created...I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. It has been such a cool time."
For more on Clarkson's unexplained absence, read: Kelly Clarkson Abruptly Disappeared From Her Talk Show & Fans Are Concerned.