Kelly Clarkson and her audience members could barely get through an emotional segment after the singer returned to her show for the first time on Monday, following the death of her ex-husband.
Clarkson, who delayed the start of her show for a few weeks, spoke to bus drivers who helped rescue 900 children from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp in Texas Hill Country where kids and camp counselors were trapped during July’s catastrophic floods.
Clarkson, who held on to tissues throughout the segment, spoke to some of the heroes who helped drive the found children home to their parents after the terrible natural disaster struck.
Many of the bus drivers could barely get through the segment without their voices breaking and their eyes welling up with tears.
One bus driver, named Amanda, told viewers about one of the biggest challenges of driving the girls home
“It was awesome to see all the parents reunited with their kids,” she said, before her voice broke. “The hardest part was when the last kid got off your bus and the parents just asked, ‘Was that it?’”
People who watched the show’s clip on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” Instagram page praised Clarkson for focusing on the workers and the flooding tragedy many months after the incident occurred.
“Oh my heart, thank you for highlighting and honoring such deserving people,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “Highlighting these people is so beautiful in the midst of such tragedy.”
Another person wrote, “Thanks so much to your show for allowing these heroes to tell their stories. Proud of the people of my home state.”
Clarkson did not mention her ex, Brandon Blackstock, during her return to the show. She and Blackstock were married for nearly seven years, before the two split in 2020.
They share two children: River Rose, 11, and Remington Alexander, 9.
Blackstock died of cancer in August. He was 48.
“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” a rep for the family told People magazine in a statement at the time. “He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
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