On Thursday, the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson returned home to be a guest judge for the live top 10 show. She offered the remaining contestants insight and really impressed AIjudge
i'm 2 feet away from @kelly_clarkson -on @AmericanIdol - she is absolutely beautiful... brilliant, funny, and she's glowing! #idol
— Harry Connick, Jr. (@HarryConnickJR) February 26, 2016
The song, from her album of the same name, references the father that walked out of Clarkson's life when she was young. Around the 3:11 mark, she gets choked up when she starts to sing about the type of dad her husband,
"He restored my faith that a man can be kind, and a father should be great piece by piece."
Judge
@brittneylately @SmileyYYC crying Jordan? I hate that
— Acuna Matata (@AlexinAnaheim) February 26, 2016
.@kelly_clarkson - I am truly speechless. Thank you for gracing us tonight with your beautiful heart, soul, gift, & your pure humanity! - KU
— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) February 26, 2016
Clarkson received a standing ovation from all three judges and the show's host,
"I'm pregnant, and it's nostalgic, and I can't believe it's the last season. And, yeah, I'm really sorry I just bawled. I'm actually quite proud that I made it that far."
And, when Seacrest mentioned that she had a hard time keeping it together during rehearsals, the singer said:
"It's just a touching song for me 'cause I wrote it about my little girl when I was pregnant. Now I'm pregnant with my little boy, which I hope comes out very soon."
She also took to Twitter to express her gratitude to the show that started it all.
What an emotional night. Thanks @AmericanIdol for such a beautiful beginning & a perfect ending.