Kelly Clarkson sparked concern with a cryptic comment she made as she returned to her eponymous talk show following an unexplained absence.

The 42-year-old singer made an emotional admission on the 1000th milestone episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show after missing 10 episodes due to a ‘private matter.’

She got candid after she made her return, and in celebration her milestone episode on Thursday, she admitted she’s ‘lost, alone, a lot.’

During the taping, the Grammy-winning singer reflected on her journey since she debuted her show in September 2019 on NBC.

She did not address her recent absence but vaguely spoke about having gone through ‘a lot of ups and downs’ in the past during a heartfelt speech.

On social media, fans shared their worries about her well-being — but also simultaneously applauded her for her stunning cover of I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston to celebrate six successful seasons of her show.

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Kelly Clarkson sparked concern with a cryptic comment she made as she returned to her eponymous talk show following an unexplained absence

‘Welcome to the Kelly Clarkson Show and our 1,000th episode,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe today marks the 1,000th. It’s crazy.’

She continued: ‘We have met some hugely talented people, tons of big stars and inspiring everyday heroes.’

She gushed about how she, her team and her fans have ‘created a community and supported each other through a lot of ups and downs.’

Seemingly referencing her own life and the ‘personal matter’ she has been dealing with lately, she jokingly added: ‘A lot of ups and downs personally as well.’

The American Idol alum reflected on hosting her show during the COVID-19 pandemic and taping episodes when she had various injuries over the years, including when she had ‘an eye patch and with my leg in a cast.’

Throughout all of the memories, she joked that she ‘still can’t cook.’

‘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,’ she said about the emotional moments.

‘I’ve lost, alone, a lot,’ she added, without any additional details nor clarification.

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The 42-year-old singer made an emotional admission on the 1000th milestone episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show after missing 10 episodes due to a ‘private matter’

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She got candid after she made her return, and in celebration her milestone episode on Thursday, she admitted she’s ‘lost, alone, a lot’

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View gallery

During the taping, the Grammy-winning singer reflected on her journey since she debuted her show in September 2019 on NBC. She did not address her recent absence but vaguely spoke about having gone through ‘a lot of ups and downs’ in the past during a heartfelt speech

She may be referring to her divorce as she and her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock were married for nearly seven years before calling it quits in June 2020.

She shares daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy Alexander, nearly nine, with the talent manager.

She sued Blackstock last year after accusing him of making unauthorized business deals on her behalf.

They settled their lawsuits over comissions in May 2024, ending a contentious legal battle that began after their divorce was finalized two years earlier.

In addition to the dissolution of her marriage and their legal disputes, she also embarked on a major weight loss journey in the past couple of years.

‘It’s okay,’ she said to her audience as they reacted to her heartfelt speech during her milestone episode.

‘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,’ she said.

‘I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. It has been such a cool time. Thank you so much.’

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On social media, fans shared their worries about her well-being — but also simultaneously applauded her for her stunning cover of I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston to celebrate six successful seasons of her show

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‘I’ve lost, alone, a lot,’ she added, without any additional details nor clarification. She may be referring to her divorce as she and her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock were married for nearly seven years before calling it quits in June 2020; pictured January 2020 in Santa Monica

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She shares daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy Alexander, nearly nine, with the talent manager.

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In addition to the dissolution of her marriage and their legal disputes, she also embarked on a major weight loss journey in the past couple of years; pictured February 2024 in Los Angeles

Kelly Clarkson returns to her talk show to interview Adam Scott

This comes just a couple days after Clarkson returned to her hosting duties after a mysterious absence from her talk show.

She did not address why she was away from the show for 10 episodes, during which she relied on guest hosts, such as Molly Sims and Brooke Shields.

During the episode, she was joined by Severance star Adam Scott as a guest and sang with My Band Y’all as they covered Flames by New Zealand artist Will Swinton.

Even though she returned on Tuesday, she was out again on Wednesday with Andy Cohen as a guest host in her place, before she came back on Thursday for the milestone episode.

Additionally, she is also set to tape Friday’s forthcoming episode.