Kelly Clarkson reveals she was broke while filming ‘American Idol’ — until one moment changed everything
Kelly Clarkson recently reminisced about her 'American Idol' days as a contestant while appearing on Kylie Kelce's 'Not Gonna Lie' podcast. Clarkson disclosed that she was so busy fending for her needs that she didn't realize the reality talent show was a live TV program. "For all of us in that first season, we literally didn't... I didn't even know it was a TV show until my third audition. Like, we were literally trying to pay our bills. We're like, 'Oh, this might work. I might meet someone or whatever.' Nobody knew it was going to amount to anything," the 'Catch My Breath' hitmaker recalled.
Despite winning the inaugural season of 'American Idol' in September 2002, Clarkson described her experience as "lonely" due to the absence of a mentor. She also disclosed that at the time, she was broke, as per People. "We were literally, like, kids — you know, 19 years old, just trying to pay my electric bill, y'all. You know, and afford the deductible on my car that was bashed in, which I couldn't afford. So it was a different thing," she confessed. "I had no one. I was the first winner. It was hard. Not to sound like, whatever, it was really hard," she added. The 'Broken & Beautiful' singer told host Kelce that her Idol experience allowed her to relate to the contestants as a coach on 'The Voice.'
Clarkson joined 'The Voice' as a battle advisor for team Blake Shelton in season 2; she returned as a key advisor in season 13. The 'Just Sing' singer won four times while mentoring on the reality show; she guided several contestants as a coach between seasons 14 and 21 and came back for season 23, NBC reported. However, on Kelce's podcast, Clarkson revealed that most of 'The Voice' coaches were not too keen on taking up the mentorship role because they "hated talent shows." "People that were really mean have been coaches. You know what I'm saying? Like, I hated talent shows. And they ended up being on The Voice," she said.
Clarkson wowed the judges with a strong rendition of Etta James' 'At Last' for the first audition of 'American Idol'; she switched to Madonna's 'Express Yourself' for audition number 2. And finally knocked off the audience with her powerful rendition of Pharrell Williams and Tori Kelly's 'I Say a Little Prayer' during audition number 3, Top 65 Hollywood Round 2. She went on to perform a medley of songs till reaching the final round of the competition. For the finale, Clarkson left a lasting impression with her original composition, 'A Moment Like This,' which went on to become her hit debut single.
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Clarkson bagged the title after giving a tough 12-week competition to other contestants. Last year, the three-time Grammy winner hilariously missed her Idol anniversary date, Entertainment Weekly reported. "Hey Kel, it's September 4," digital producer Andrew Shaw remarked, trying to remind Clarkson. "It is September 4," the 'Because Of You' singer repeated, clueless while jogging her memory. "Oh my God! It's September 4. Oh my God, when you said that date," she exclaimed. "I got nervous, like, 'Did I miss an anniversary?" It has been 22 years since Clarkson embarked on her musical journey with the Idol win.