‘Kelly Clarkson Show’ Staffers Allege ‘Toxic’ Work Environment, Former Employee Calls Producer ‘A Monster’

A new exposé from Rolling Stone is ripping the lid off “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to reveal an allegedly “toxic” atmosphere behind the scenes of the feel-good daytime chat-fest.

Since making its debut in 2019, Kelly Clarkson’s daytime show has been a hit with viewers, thanks to the “American Idol” alum’s easygoing charm and her viral “Kellyoke” song performances that open each episode.

However, several staffers on the show — one currently employed there and 10 who have moved on — describe a “toxic environment” behind the scenes, claiming that they are “overworked, underpaid, and that working at the show was traumatizing to their mental health.”

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Meanwhile, those staffers also believe that Clarkson herself has no idea that her staff is so miserable.

“NBC is protecting the show because it’s their new money maker, but Kelly has no clue how unhappy her staff is,” a former employee tells the magazine.

“I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry, being like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?’” says another.

In response to the allegations, an NBCU spokesperson told ET Canada: “We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate. ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”

According to those “Kelly Clarkson Show” staffers, the source of the “toxic behaviour behind the scenes” is the show’s executive producer and showrunner Alex Duda, who previously produced “The Tyra Banks Show” and “Steve Harvey”.

“I think Alex Duda’s a monster,” a former employee says. “I have a friend who’s an executive producer who warned me about taking this job, because apparently she has done this on every show she’s worked on.”

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The sources who spoke to RS allege that Clarkson isn’t aware how poorly “lower-level staffers” are paid, leading some to take on side hustles as babysitters, dog walker and Uber Eats drivers.

“Kelly is fantastic,” says a former employee. “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.”

The former employees described suffering anxiety and deterioration of their mental health due to Duda’s allegedly abusive behaviour, which included incidents in which she “yelled and cursed at them multiple times onstage.

One former staffer, who has worked on numerous TV shows over the course of many years, singled out “The Kelly Clarkson Show” as being “by far the worst experience I’ve ever had in my entire life,” adding, “It deterred me from wanting to work in daytime ever again. When I say I was traumatized, I was really traumatized.”

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Staffers also complain that taking their concerns to HR has had no effect.

“You would think that they would be very proactive and actually care, but they just nod their heads and take notes and it goes nowhere,” a former staffer claimed.

“They knew my situation, they knew my story, but I didn’t have the support from them that I really needed,” a staffer alleged. “What’s the point of HR? They’re lying to you, too. They make it seem like they’re there for you, and then when push comes to shove they’re not around.”

Rolling Stone reports that the Writers Guild of America has launched an investigation into the show.

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“People shouldn’t be treated like this,” former employee added. “Especially when you’re working on a TV show that’s winning Emmys and bringing in millions of ad dollars.”

“NBC did not provide a comment for this story after being given several days to do so. Clarkson and the show’s executive producer, Alex Duda, did not respond to separate requests for comment,” added RS.