At the start of the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, Kelly Clarkson proved why she was brought back to host the ceremony for the third consecutive year. Kelly, 38, opened the show dressed in a spectacular golden wrap dress. However, she wasn’t just there to look phenomenal – Kelly was there to work. The American Idol icon performed a version of Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love,” joining two-time BBMA nominees Pentatonix and Prince protegé/percussion icon Sheila E for the spectacular opening segment.
Considering how the year has gone, and how this was a very different Billboard Music Awards, it was the perfect way to start the show. After the first segment, she returned in a sparkly black outfit that glittered like a galaxy of stars. It was far from her only outfit change. Kelly actually changed for a third time into a silvery gown, like she was the human Platinum-selling single. Later, she changed into a gold dress with a chunky belt, like she was a living award herself!
The 2020 BBMAs were initially scheduled for April 29 at the MGMG Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but the COVID-19 outbreak forced the show to be postponed for nearly six months. However, the show must go on, and with similar ceremonies adapting for a post-coronavirus world, the BBMAs did the same. The show was moved to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and, like other ceremonies, held with as few people as possible in order to comply with CDC and California mandated guidelines. Despite the change in venue, Kelly was still onboard to host.
“I’m thrilled to be back with my Billboard family,” Kelly said in a statement in February when she was first announced as this year’s host. “I love being part of an event that celebrates our greatest artists and entertains our fans. This a night of music that you won’t want to miss!”
A lot has changed in Kelly’s life since she hosted the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. First off, she had her appendix removed one day after hosting the 2019 ceremony. “Not gonna lie…. I may or may not have broken down in tears after the show from pain,” she tweeted at the time. “BUT thanks 2 all the amazing people @ Cedars-Sinai. I flew home directly after the event, nailed the surgery early this morning, & feeling awesome now! Bye bye appendix.” She also, unfortunately, said good-bye to her marriage. After spending seven years with Brandon Blackstock, she filed for divorce on June 4, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Despite the split, Kelly thanks Brandon when she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host. The Kelly Clarkson Show host tweeted, “Thank you so much to @BBlackstock for believing in me & convincing me to do @KellyClarksonTV show and @lifeofT for being the greatest friend/assistant.” Though Kelly and Brandon are broken up, she made sure to credit her ex – who was also her longtime manager – because “she’s very thankful for everything he’s done for her career,” a source told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY.