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The Kelly Clarkson Show Taping: Behind the Scenes
- Agne
- Dec 17, 2025
- 7 min read
On the 20th of November 2025, during my trip to New York, I got lucky enough to attend a taping of The Kelly Clarkson Show. I’m here to tell you all about the behind-the-scenes experience: how I got the tickets and ended up in the audience, how the whole process worked, and what felt like a slight cultural shock. So, let’s go.
My previous experience at Late Night with Seth Meyers
This wasn’t my first time being in a studio audience - or in New York, for that matter. Two years ago, during my second trip to NY, I got tickets to attend a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers. It was my first-ever experience like this, so I was super excited.
The taping takes place at the iconic Rockefeller Center, so being there and seeing all the behind-the-scenes action of a show I had only watched on my laptop screen was a really unique experience. (Kelly tapes her show in the same building, so the whole process is almost the same - I’ll get into that in a bit.)
The whole taping was relatively quick, around one hour in total. Seth Meyers also came out before the official taping started to say hello to the audience, and then during the break he came out again to answer some questions. He seemed so friendly and down-to-earth. I was really impressed with the whole experience, so obviously I wanted to attend another show taping if I ever got the chance.
How to get the tickets
So the first important question: how did I get tickets to both shows?
The answer is 1iota. This website provides tickets to talk shows and similar events - tapings, premieres, and more - and it covers both LA and New York. So if you’re in either of these cities, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that many shows - especially popular ones like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - sell out quite far in advance, so planning ahead really helps.
For this trip, we planned everything quite spontaneously, just a few weeks in advance. A lot of tapings for those dates were already booked, but I still managed to find one available taping - and I got in.
Getting tickets isn’t completely straightforward, though. First, you have to request tickets, and then people are selected randomly. I’ve heard that if you’re not a local, you might actually have higher chances of getting selected - but I’m not sure how true that really is.
So basically, you apply for tickets and then wait to see if you’re selected.
How much are the tickets?
Here comes the best part: this unique experience is completely free. All tapings are free of charge, which makes it such a great activity if you’re visiting the city.
Once you are selected
Once you’re selected, you’ll receive an email asking you to RSVP for the show where you requested a ticket. Once you do that, you’re officially in! Then, in your 1iota account, you’ll find your actual tickets along with detailed instructions about timing, location, and everything else you need to know.
What if all shows are booked?
Another option (which I haven’t personally tried) is to line up for tickets on the day of the show. Standby cards are available at the NBC Studios Shop, and they’re meant for people to fill empty spots if someone doesn’t show up. Standby cards are limited to one per person and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. However, standby cards do not guarantee admission.
From what I’ve heard, these lines can be quite long - people start queuing as early as 6am or even earlier, and tickets are usually distributed between 8am and 3pm. After that, you need to return in the afternoon and wait until ticket holders are admitted. Only then will the empty seats be filled by standby ticket holders.
The day of the taping: check-in and lounge area
Back to the actual day of taping: on the 20th of November, almost two years after my Seth Meyers taping, we were back at the same building, this time waiting in line for The Kelly Clarkson Show. NBC Studios and offices are located at Rockefeller Center, so shows like Kelly Clarkson, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon are all taped here.
The process starts with waiting in line to enter the lounge area. Our ticket said to arrive by 1:15pm for check-in, so we arrived around 1pm - and the line was already quite long. One important thing I learned is that there are more tickets than the studio can actually hold, but from what I gathered, it is very rare that they cannot accommodate all reservations.
While in the queue, staff first check whether you have a ticket for the correct show (since multiple shows use the same waiting area). Once you get closer to the Grand Staircase, they check your ticket and your ID.
After that, you go upstairs, sign a form, and enter the official reception area, where your ticket and ID are checked again. You’re then given a wristband and a physical ticket. After passing through security, you finally reach the Peacock lounge area.
This lounge is the same one used for Seth Meyers and likely other shows as well. There are screens showing photos from the show, music playing in the background, bathrooms, a water fountain, and a photo booth where you can take a selfie with a show-themed frame.
Going to the actual studio
Around 2:30pm, staff started escorting audience members to the actual studio. Entry happens in a specific order - there’s a number or letter written on the back of your ticket, and groups are called accordingly. We were in one of the last groups.
From this point on, phones had to be completely turned off, as filming or recording is strictly prohibited. They checked our tickets again and then led us through corridors and elevators to the studio. Staff guided us the entire way.
Once inside, they showed us to our seats. We ended up in the back row, but still had a pretty okay view of the stage and the guest area.
The Kelly Clarkson Show Taping
Once we were seated, the “audience entertainer” (there’s probably a better title for this role) started the audience warm-up session - which, for me, was a bit over the top. First came the usual instructions: show your emotions, laugh loudly, clap, and exaggerate your reactions. That’s pretty standard for tapings. Then there was a dancing contest where audience members could win a T-shirt, along with some other warm-up activities. The session lasted around 30 minutes, so if you’re on the introverted side, just be aware. That said, no one is forced to participate - they usually pick the most outgoing people.
Finally, the official taping started. Kelly entered the studio and jumped straight into the show, beginning with the guest segment. The lineup was actually quite good: Brendan Fraser (I watched so many of his movies as a child, so that was really cool), Wagner Moura (iconic for his lead role in Narcos), and Morgan Stevenson Cooper, who wrote a children’s book that we all received as a gift at the end of the show.
One downside was the sound. It was very quiet, and it was hard to hear what was being said - especially once the audience started reacting. It felt a bit strange to be encouraged to overreact when you could barely hear the conversation.
Still, it was interesting to watch the interviews and see how the show is made. We could even see the teleprompter, which was cool - it’s obvious all the questions and reactions are prepared in advance.
In total, this taping was longer than Seth Meyers’. We spent over an hour and a half in the studio, including the warm-up.
Unlike my previous experience, Kelly didn’t interact with the audience at all - no extra hellos or casual moments. She came in, filmed the segments and commercials, and left. I later read that this is pretty standard for her show.
The weirdest segment
The last segment of the taping was called “MorningSave,” presented by Lawrence Zarian. He came out to chat with the audience and asked for super-exaggerated reactions to everything he presented-basically, every word should be followed by “uhhhs” and “ahhhs” (I’m basically quoting here).
Then they started showcasing some pretty lame products (sorry) with huge discounts - 70% or 80% off - like a snuggle hoodie with the design straight out of my grandma’s couch, and foldable suitcases... When he described the colors of some flameless candles, the audience went “woow, wuuuuhuuu!”- we acted like we didn’t even know candles existed before that. Honestly, it felt a bit dystopian - I guess we’re not worrying about conscious consumption here, hahaha. It was like stepping back into the ’90s, participating in a live telemarketing ad.
But hey, everything is an experience in the end, hahaha.
The end
The taping ended around 4:40pm, and we were escorted out of the studio. Everyone received a 10% voucher for the NBC Studios Shop, which is handy if you want to buy some merch - just wait until the end of the taping to use it. They have some really nice items from all the shows and series (like The Office), though this time I didn’t buy anything. Two years ago, I picked up a Late Night with Seth Meyers T-shirt.
All in all, it was a super interesting experience. If you’re curious about how these shows are made, I definitely recommend attending as part of the audience. Between the two shows, I definitely preferred Seth Meyers - his show felt more my style, he was very friendly, and being my first taping ever, it left a long-lasting impression.
As a side note, two years ago I was also accepted to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but the confirmation came too late, and I had already committed to Seth Meyers. Unfortunately, with the show now being canceled, I won’t get another chance.
So… The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - next?
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