Kelly Clarkson Clarified Her Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Comment

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These days, Kelly Clarkson can’t seem to tell if she’s watching football or The Real Housewives. Discussing the NFL’s nonstop coverage of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance on The Kelly Clarkson Show’s Oct. 20 episode, she said, “It’s not hilarious how it is literally taking over the NFL for people that like watching sports now.”

During the conversation with her guest, Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang, the singer opined that tuning into an NFL (Taylor’s Version) game suddenly feels “like you’re watching Housewives,” adding, “They’re just talking about gossip things and you’re like, ‘So, what about the play?’ But they’re taking over.”

After the episode aired, some headlines incorrectly suggested that Clarkson was bashing Swift and Kelce, so she took to Instagram the next day to set the record straight.

Kelly’s PSA

Issuing what she referred to as a “quick public service announcement” on Oct. 21, Clarkson referenced the “breaking news,” warning fans, “Do not fall prey to clickbait, trash reporters twisting the facts again. I did not bash anyone’s romance. I am pro romance. Yay romance.”

The Dallas Cowboys fan continued, “Did y’all even watch what I actually said on my show? I just said I want to watch football when I tune in to watch football. Seems an appropriate request. Okay, carry on, and GO COWBOYS!”

— kellyclarkson/Instagram

An SNL Surprise

In fact, Kelce might agree with Clarkson’s assessment. After the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said on his New Heights podcast the NFL is “overdoing it,” he made a surprise SNL cameo on Oct. 14, to reiterate his point. To cap off a Traylor-focused sketch that parodied a Fox Sports segment, Kenan Thompson (portraying Fox NFL Sunday host Curt Menefee) teased their next guest would be “someone who actually wants to talk football.” That’s when the NFL star appeared briefly, begging, “Yes, please!”

On Clarkson’s daytime talk show, Yang revealed that he and the rest of the SNL only found out Kelce and Swift — who also appeared in the episode to introduce one of musical guest Ice Spice’s two performances — were coming on the day of the Season 49 premiere. “I round the corner, they’re at the Page desk, and I’m like, ‘Oh, there’s two of the tallest people I’ve ever seen. Who is that?’ I was, like, in the Redwood Forest or something,” he joked. “And then, I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. Wow, it’s them. OK, they’re here,’ and it was wild.”

Later in the interview, Clarkson had plenty of praise for Swift, including how she thought Red was a “great album.” Though she “wasn’t able to make it” to Swift’s Eras Tour, she nonetheless praised the “clever” idea, along with the friendship bracelets movement.

“People are so into it. ... She’s got such an incredible street team,” Clarkson added to Yang, a self-proclaimed longtime Swiftie. “I think we’ve all been a fan of her music. She’s a great writer. She’s had so many great songs.”