KELLY’S AMAZING NEW LIFE!
Stronger than ever! Nearly 40 pounds down, Clarkson reveals how she finally found confidence, inside and out
Kelly Clarkson prefers carafes to cardio. Though she revealed a 37-pound weight loss this summer, “I don’t work out,” the three-time Grammy winner said in June. “I mean, I should, [for my] heart and stuff. I do wine instead.” Rather, Clarkson — who suffers from a thyroid condition and an autoimmune disorder — credits her sleek physique to The Plant Paradox and, well, a little magic from her glam squad. Jokes the singer, “I literally hired Harry Potter and Spanx!”
Now, her slimdown has boosted her unwavering drive. At 36, the American Idol alum — she skyrocketed to fame when she won the inaugural 2002 season — has proven to be unstoppable. Currently coaching her second season of NBC’s The Voice (her first-ever team won in May 2018), Clarkson heads out on her Meaning of Life tour in January, her first headlining tour in three years. And come next fall, she’ll host her own daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“The appeal of Kelly is that she’s an open book,” says a Voice insider. “Who she is on TV is who she is off screen.” Which is a point of pride for the mom of daughter River, 4, and son Remington, 2. (She also shares stepkids Savannah and Seth with her husband, Brandon Blackstock, 41.) “I am me and I don’t care either way,” Clarkson has mused. “I love myself and it’s cool if you dig it. It’s cool if you don’t. I’m totally down either way.”
BETTER THAN EVER
Clarkson wasn’t looking to drop weight. But thanks to cardiologist Dr. Steven R. Gundry’s The Plant Paradox, she found a new “understanding of food and what we do to the food,” she said of the book, which examines how the plant-based protein lectin can have negative effects on the body. Though her svelte figure was a bonus — “I know the industry loves the weight loss,” she said — the “Stronger” singer was more impressed with another benefit. Raved Clarkson, who still enjoys fried chicken and cake, “I’m not on my medicine anymore!”
Her healthy body has led to an even healthier career. Persuaded by pal Blake Shelton, Clarkson joined The Voice as a full-time coach in 2018, “which opened the door for her talk show,” says the insider. “Kelly at heart just loves to discover new artists and is excited for the talk show because it’s out of her comfort zone.” While also showing off her expertise, adds a source: “There will be music, celebrity guests and conversations in which Kelly will chat with the audience.”
If nothing else, the show will bolster her mission to encourage fans. “I try to be a positive light in a sometimes very dark environment,” Clarkson tells Us. “Not just in the industry, but for my kids. I don’t want kids to feel like they can’t stick up for themselves. They have a voice and it matters. I’m all for being that kind of role model.”