Is Kelly Clarkson staying or leaving her daytime talk show? Apparently, her staff on The Kelly Clarkson Show would like an answer sooner versus later after her on-again, off-again appearances this past spring.

The rumors have been swirling for months that the 43-year-old talk show host was going to leave at the end of her contract in 2026 which has left her crew “stressed” about their employment situation. A producer on the show commented to the Daily Mail about their current state of mind, “Not feeling too stable. She could bolt at any time. Where does that leave me?”

Clarkson is beloved by her staff, but they seem to be hoping that she decides soon, especially since she seems to want to focus on music. At a May 9 Atlantic City concert she told the New Jersey audience, via Page Six, “We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’cause I have a talk show. It’s like a whole other job. We are bummed ’cause we love doing shows, and it’s hard to fit it in, so it’s cool when it does work out with the schedule and it’s cool to get to see your faces and feed off y’all.”

It feels like Clarkson has one foot out the door which has only fueled the speculation that Hoda Kotb is going to swoop in and save the day. “If Kelly is unhappy, then she should move on,” the crew member told the Daily Mail. “We would all understand. If Hoda wants to do it, it could be a win-win for everyone.” 

DeuxMoi even entered the Clarkson-Kotb chat on May 25 with a report that “an official announcement can supposedly be expected next week.” They pointed out that Clarkson “wanted to leave the show to focus on her music, possible touring and other projects,” paving the way for a Kotb takeover. 

Kotb left the Today show in January to spend more time with her daughters, Haley, 9, and Hope, 5. She also told Clarkson on the Jan. 6 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show that she was pivoting to the lifestyle sector of the news business. 

“I am starting a wellness app and company that will involve retreats and a podcast and all kinds of things that we can get together, do things that I love,” Kotb explained.  “It’s not like going to Mexico with your girls, which is fun, but this is something that when you leave, you’ll go like, ‘Oh my gosh. I feel transformed. I feel different.’”

Kotb teased a May 28 announcement on her Instagram page, so it seems like the app, not the daytime talk show takeover, would be the big news. Clarkson has remained silent about her possible exit, but it sounds like her staff would like more concrete answers now.

Before you go, click here to see 19 facts about Kelly Clarkson you didn’t already know.