"Winning American Idol changed my life and I will be forever grateful for all of you that have supported me for so many years," she added. "It is a gift to find your purpose and passion, and to be able to make a living doing it is the cherry on top. Thank you, always."

The official American Idol Instagram account reshared Clarkson's post on its Stories, writing, "THIS is what it's all about @kellyclarkson. You were an icon from the start. 🤩 We will always love you."

Longtime fans showed love for The Kelly Clarkson Show host in the comments, including supportive notes from famous faces like Demi Lovato, who wrote, "we love u kelly 🫶🫶🫶 (and yes i voted every week for u!) thank u for being my first idol. ur amazing 🖤"

Jordin Sparks, who won season six of Idol when she was 17 years old, explained that Clarkson served as an inspiration not just for herself but for other hopefuls.

"THE OG!! I remember watching you win and saying to my parents, 'I want to do that!'" she said. "Thank you for inspiring me and so many countless others! ✨"

Since winning American Idol, Clarkson has gone on to release 10 studio albums and rack up countless award nominations including 17 Grammy nods, of which she has won three. She has also used her competition experience to help other artists as a coach on The Voice and showed off her personality and Kellyoke talent on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Clarkson's comments also mark her first time returning to social media since the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. A representative for the family confirmed August 7 that the talent manager passed away following a private battle with cancer. The exes were married for seven years before splitting in 2020. They share two children, 11-year-old daughter River and 9-year-old son Remington.

Theresa Lucas