Kelly Clarkson Ends Her Talk Show With a Show-Stopping ‘Golden’ Performance — Before Her Kids Join Her for an Emotional Final Goodbye

After seven seasons, more than a thousand episodes and countless Kellyoke performances, Kelly Clarkson closed the door on The Kelly Clarkson Show in the most fitting way possible: with music, her children and one final message to the viewers who had welcomed her into their homes for years.

The Emmy-winning daytime series aired its final episode on Monday, August 31, and Clarkson packed the farewell hour with fan favorites from her own catalogue, the television debut of her new single “I’d Be Lyin’” and an emotional appearance from her two children.

But one performance quickly emerged as the showstopper.

Clarkson finally tackled “Golden,” the huge hit from Netflix’s 2025 movie KPop Demon Hunters — and the song that had become the most-requested Kellyoke number in the show’s history.

Kelly Clarkson finally sings the most-requested Kellyoke song

Music has been at the heart of The Kelly Clarkson Show since its 2019 debut, with the Kellyoke segment allowing Clarkson to put her unmistakable voice on songs spanning genres and generations.

For the finale, she gave viewers the performance many had been waiting for.

Clarkson took on “Golden,” originally performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami for KPop Demon Hunters.

The notoriously demanding song gave Clarkson an opportunity to unleash the full power of her voice, including its soaring high notes.

The performance quickly attracted attention on social media as clips from the finale began circulating.

And considering “Golden” was officially the most-requested Kellyoke song ever, there could hardly have been a more appropriate choice for the final episode.

Fans also chose five Kelly Clarkson classics

Clarkson did not spend the entire finale singing other artists’ music.

As a thank-you to the viewers who had supported the show for seven seasons, she introduced a special “Kelly By Request” segment featuring some of the most requested songs from her own catalogue.

The selection stretched across more than two decades of her career.

She revisited her massive 2004 breakup anthem “Since U Been Gone,” followed by the 2007 favorite “Sober.”

Clarkson also performed the empowering 2011 hit “Stronger,” the intensely personal “Piece by Piece” from 2015 and 2017’s “Didn’t I.”

The latter holds particular significance for Clarkson, as it is reportedly her favorite song from her catalogue to perform live.

Together, the performances turned the final hour into something resembling a miniature retrospective of the career that began when Clarkson became the first winner of American Idol.

The finale also looked toward Kelly’s next chapter

Despite all the nostalgia, Clarkson made sure the final episode was not entirely focused on looking backward.

The finale, which was filmed in June, also included the television debut of her new single “I’d Be Lyin’.”

It was a fitting reminder that while Clarkson is leaving behind the demanding routine of a daily talk show, she is not stepping away from music.

In fact, when she originally announced her decision to end the series, Clarkson made it clear that fans would continue hearing from her.

“This isn’t goodbye,” she said at the time.

Music, occasional live shows and potential appearances on The Voice all remain possibilities as she enters a less rigid chapter of her career.

River and Remington join their mom for the goodbye

The most personal part of the finale arrived when Clarkson’s children joined her.

Her daughter River Rose, 12, and son Remington Alexander, 10, moved from the audience onto the stage as their mother reflected on just how much of their childhood had unfolded during the show’s seven-year run.

“I’m such a proud mom,” Clarkson said. “They’re the greatest kids in the world.”

The passage of time hit particularly hard when she remembered how young River had been when the show began.

“When we started, River was in kindergarten!” Clarkson said. “She’s now going to be in middle school. Crazy!”

Remington had also become part of the show’s history.

Clarkson recalled his television singing debut with her band in 2024, when he performed Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

River and Remington are Clarkson’s children with her former husband Brandon Blackstock, who died in August 2025 following a battle with skin cancer.

Why Kelly Clarkson decided to walk away after seven seasons

Clarkson first announced in February that the seventh season would be her last.

Despite the show’s success, she explained that maintaining the daily schedule no longer made sense for the life she wanted to build with her children.

“Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives,” she said when announcing her departure.

Clarkson acknowledged that ending the show had been an extremely difficult decision.

She thanked the teams who had worked alongside her in Los Angeles and New York, as well as the band, crew, guests, NBC and the viewers who had supported the program.

“There have been so many amazing moments and shows over these seven seasons,” she said.

But ultimately, being more available to River and Remington took priority over continuing the daily grind of daytime television.

Clarkson leaves viewers with one final piece of advice

After the performances and family moments, Clarkson turned her attention directly to the audience.

Her final message was less about television than about how she has learned to approach life.

“Life is totally out of our control,” she began.

But Clarkson said people can still decide how they respond to circumstances they cannot change.

“You don’t have to attend the negative party you were invited to,” she said, crediting the advice to a therapist.

She encouraged viewers to remind themselves that they have a choice in how they react and to respond in a way that reflects who they genuinely want to be.

Then came the goodbye.

“I loved being in your home each day, and I got to see my kids grow up on this show as well,” Clarkson told viewers.

“I have immeasurable gratitude for everybody here. Thank you so much.”

Seven years of music, interviews and unexpected moments come to an end

When The Kelly Clarkson Show launched in 2019, Clarkson was already established as one of the most recognizable voices in pop music.

Daytime television gave audiences another side of her.

Across seven seasons, the series combined celebrity interviews, human-interest stories, comedy and the Kellyoke performances that became one of its defining features.

It also allowed viewers to watch Clarkson’s own life evolve.

Her children grew from young kids into preteens.

Her music continued changing.

And the singer herself entered a dramatically different chapter from the one she was living when the first episode aired.

That made River and Remington’s presence during the final hour especially meaningful.

The talk show is ending, but Kelly Clarkson isn’t disappearing

Clarkson has repeatedly emphasized that leaving daytime television should not be mistaken for retirement.

She still intends to make music.

She plans to perform when it works for her life.

And she has left open the possibility of returning to The Voice from time to time.

“You never know where I might show up next,” she teased when announcing the end of her show.

For the moment, however, Clarkson appears ready for something her daily television schedule rarely allowed: more control over her time with her children.

And after seven years of starting episodes by singing for everyone else, it felt appropriate that her final hour gave viewers what they had requested most.

One last Kellyoke.

One last family moment.

And one last reminder that while The Kelly Clarkson Show has ended, Kelly Clarkson’s next chapter is only beginning.