Since she’s been gone.
Kelly Clarkson, 42, has been absent from “The Kelly Clarkson Show” for almost a week with no explanation, sparking concern from her fans.
The singer’s absence appears to be unplanned because when she first missed the taping of her show on March 3, “Barbie” actor Simu Liu stepped in.
“Kelly isn’t able to make it today. We’re sending her our very best,” he told the crowd.
Alluding to the sudden nature of this development, he said, “I did not know that I was doing this until about five minutes ago when I arrived to promote my new movie, ‘Last Breath.’ I’m here now, and look, I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”
Clarkson returned to host on March 4 without explaining what happened the previous day, but she was missing again the next few days, with other celebs stepping in to host.
She hasn’t publicly addressed or explained why she’s been absent.
“We love Kelly and respect her privacy, but y’all definitely need to put out some sort of statement because this is worrisome,” one concerned fan commented on “The Kelly Clarkson Show’s” Instagram page, while another said, “Please let us know if Kelly is OK.”
A third commented, “Where’s Kelly???” with sad emojis. “I respect Kelly Clarkson’s privacy, but I am very concerned about her,” shared someone else.
Another viewer commented, “All of her fans are worried about her … while we understand it’s her privacy, just a statement that she’s OK or something saying she’s dealing with a personal issue would be enough for us I think.”
The Post reached out to “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and NBC for comment.
In the past, the former “American Idol” star has taken absences from her show, as she spent the summer of 2022 in Montana with the kids she has with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who she was married to from 2013 to 2022.
“It was really important to me to shut down for a minute,” Clarkson explained on the “Today” show in 2022. “[We] just spent the whole summer in the mountains. It was nice.”
The “Since U Been Gone” singer is also currently preparing for her Las Vegas residency, which will run from July 4 to Aug. 16, 2025, to Nov. 7 to 15, 2025.
Clarkson last hosted the March 5 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“The Daily Show” comedian Roy Wood Jr. guest hosted the next day.
“Kelly’s out for the day. I’m back,” he explained, referring to how he also hosted the Feb. 28 episode.
“You’re in good hands. I was here about a week ago, I think they brought me back because of my resemblance to Kelly. You need to squint to see it, though,” he joked.
Comedian Wanda Sykes and singer Josh Groban stepped in to co-host the March 7 episode.
“It’s good to be here at Kelly’s show,” Sykes said. “She asked if I could co-host, and I said, ‘Absolutely, Kelly. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing on my birthday than daytime TV.’”
Brooke Shields also hosted the March 10 and 11 episodes, simply telling the crowd that it was “so nice” to be filling in for Clarkson.
Willie Geist from “Today” hosted on March 12, while actress Molly Sims will host the March 13 and 14 episodes.
