Kelly Clarkson Thought She Was 'Making a Horrible Decision' by Moving Her Show to NYC: 'I Needed a Fresh Start'

After Kelly Clarkson went through her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, she was ready for the next chapter, which is why she decided to relocate The Kelly Clarkson Show and her children, River Rose, 9, and Remington, 7, to New York City.

“I’ll be real honest: I thought I was making a horrible decision,” the 41-year-old said in an interview published on Monday, October 16, of why she moved across the country. “I knew I needed a fresh start and couldn’t be in L.A. I really wanted to be in Montana, but you can’t really do a show from there quite yet. So I was like, ‘The only other option would probably be New York.'”

“I genuinely love it, and I love that my kids love it,” the singer, who was awarded primary custody of her two tots, added. “I was like, ‘I’m not living here unless it’s right by the park and really nice for the kids.’”

Though the mom-of-two's talk show was an instant success, she recalled not being fully happy.

“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,” she stated. “I’ve learned a lot about what I’m capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying ‘bye’ to The Voice and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, ‘I’m struggling. I can’t smile anymore. I don’t feel like smiling.’”

“What’s cool for me with Season 5 is I am in such a great place, not only with my kids, but with me personally and with the show,” she shared. “I feel like a weight has lifted. That move was very needed. I think the thing I'm most excited about with Season 5, on a selfish level, is just showing up to work smiling and actually meaning it. That's a beautiful gift that you don't realize until you're out of it."

As OK! previously reported, not only is Clarkson feeling good on the inside, but she's also looking amazing.

“Rough commute tonight to hang with @jimmyfallon across the hall,” she posted a photo of herself prior to her recent interview on The Tonight Show.

Of course, her followers were stunned by her recent transformation.

“Hello ma’am, you’re STUNNING!” oner person wrote, while a second added, “Girl.....can I say that you have always looked stunning....but Yes! YES! YES! FOR THIS LOOK! Love the outfit, hair and that big smile. You look like a million bucks!”

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!

USA Today spoke to Clarkson.