LOS ANGELES—Kelly Clarkson had her appendix removed soon after hosting the Billboard Music Awards.
“Kelly Clarkson has been suffering from appendicitis all week & had her appendix removed this morning—yet last night she flawlessly hosted an award show and sang two songs without showing any sign of discomfort. How could you do anything BUT STAN?!?” former BuzzFeed senior entertainment editor Jarett Wieselman on May 2 said in a tweet.
Kelly Clarkson has been suffering from appendicitis all week & had her appendix removed this morning — yet last night she flawlessly hosted an award show and sang two songs without showing any sign of discomfort. How could you do anything BUT STAN?!? https://t.co/2M8hUfC5PU
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) May 2, 2019
Clarkson confirmed the news in a follow-up tweet. The 37-year-old tweeted she “may or may not have broken down in tears after the show from pain.” She flew home to Los Angeles after Wednesday night’s show in Las Vegas and had surgery on Thursday.
Not gonna lie…. I may or may not have broken down in tears after the show from pain ???? 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 ???? #TheShowMustGoOn ????????♀️ https://t.co/eL9HoVlSiM
— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) May 2, 2019
Despite the pain, Clarkson performed her new song, “Broken & Beautiful,” and opened the awards show with a medley of some of the year’s biggest hits. It was the second year in a row that she hosted the awards.
Clarkson tweeted she’s “feeling awesome.”
She closed her tweet with a hashtag of the showbiz mantra: “TheShowMustGoOn.”
Clarkson’s hosting was praised in media reports and on social media.
“Ok let’s get this straight … you walk the carpet, open the show with an insane medley, host the show, perform your song all with an appendicitis?! Gurl we do not deserve you and apparently either does your appendix,” @DanDanoDeege said on Twitter.
Ok let’s get this straight…you walk the carpet, open the show with an insane medley, host the show, perform your song all with a appendicitis?! Gurl we do not deserve you and apparently either does your appendix ????
— Dan Johnson (@DanDanoDeege) May 2, 2019
“Omg how on earth?!? when I had appendicitis, I felt like death and could hardly walk. Wow you’re so strong!!”@the_blonde01 sent in a tweet.
Omg how on earth?!????? when I had appendicitis, I felt like death and could hardly walk. Wow you’re so strong!!
— Caitlin (@the_blonde01) May 2, 2019
Clarkson’s hosting was also praised by media. She has hosted the Billboard Music Awards two times in a row. Clarkson told People about how her career journey prepared her for this job.
“Because my whole career started on live, national television, I think I have an odd sense of being comfortable in that environment,” she said. “That probably says something psychologically about me, but I think because of how I came in the industry nothing really throws me, generally. I should really knock on some wood.”
Clarkson’s last album, “Meaning of Life,” was released in 2017.
Clarkson has also been preparing to host a new TV talk show due to launch this year. The show will air around the United States starting in September, Deadline reported.
NTD News reporter Colin Fredericson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
