Looking good, girl! Strutting onto the stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 21, Kelly Clarkson dominated the room in a curve-hugging minidress with black boots and tights. And when she reached the mic, she launched into a set full of old hits and newer tracks like the aptly titled tune she says is her favorite yet, “Whole Lotta Woman.” It was clear it was her night — but actually, this might just be her year. 

Fans are about to get a whole lot more Kelly. On Sept. 18, 16 years after she won the first season of American Idol, The Voice coach revealed she landed her own NBC daytime talk show, which will air in 2019 right before The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “It’s something I never thought I would do,” Kelly noted after the news broke, “but… it feels so natural.”

It’s also something she never could have done at any point in her life — until now. After years of struggling with her health and facing ups and downs in her marriage, Kelly, 36, has reached a point where she feels confident and happy enough to go on TV and speak out about all she’s been through. “I love talking,” she admits. “It’s hard for me to shut up!” 

The last few years have been tough for the singer. “Kelly’s always said she was happy at any weight, even at her biggest, but in reality, she was hiding her pain,” a source tells Life & Style. “The weight gain and fatigue of the last several years plus two tough pregnancies really took a toll on her physical and mental state. She wasn’t happy at all.” 

In June, Kelly revealed she’d managed to turn everything around. She confessed she’d quietly been struggling with an autoimmune disease and a thyroid disorder since 2006 and had only recently found a way to heal her body — and lose 37 pounds in the process. She credits a book called The Plant Paradox, which she read to help with her autoimmune disease and thyroid issue. “I’m not on medicine anymore because of this book,” she said. “It’s basically about how we cook our food, non-GMO, no pesticides, eating really organic.” About making the lifestyle changes, she said, “For me, it wasn’t really the weight.” It was about her health.

She’s also never been happier at home. Kelly and music manager husband Brandon Blackstock, 41, have two kids, daughter River Rose, 4, and son Remington, 2, and will celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary on Oct. 20. Early on, Kelly had to adapt to life as stepmom to his kids from his first marriage, Savannah, 17, and Seth, 11, who live with them, and struggled to cope with how often their schedules kept them apart. But they got through it and just last year, Kelly boasted their sex life is hotter than ever. “Let’s say we’re just a lot more active than other couples,” she teased. 

With her personal life back on track, she’s focused on her booming career. “Kelly’s health issues detoured things, but not anymore,” says the source. “She’s not looking back. She’s excited about this next chapter of her life — and it doesn’t hurt that she looks amazing!”