‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Staff Allege ‘Traumatizing’ Work Life

Former The Kelly Clarkson Show staff members claim the work environment at the hit daytime talk show is “traumatizing” and toxic.

According to an exposé published by Rolling Stone on May 12, one current and 10 former employees came forward to allege that staff isn’t happy with their treatment behind the scenes.

The employees claim that the work environment on set is toxic and that they are overworked, underpaid and dealing with mental health issues as a result of working on the show.

One former employee called the experience working on the Kelly Clarkson-hosted show “the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life,” saying the job left them “traumatized” and that they never want to work in daytime television ever again.

Another ex-staffer told Rolling Stone that the “job deteriorated my mental health.”

Several of the anonymous employees who came forward claimed they filed complaints with human resources but no action was taken.

Despite reports of a toxic work environment, the general consensus among staff is that Clarkson herself is “fantastic” and likely has “no clue how unhappy her staff is.”

“She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative. I would be shocked if she knew. I’d be floored if she knew the staff wasn’t getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that,” one employee said.

At time of publishing, neither Clarkson nor NBC have responded to the allegations, which come as the show plans to move from Los Angeles to New York this fall.

The Kelly Clarkson Show was recently renewed through 2025.