Kelly Clarkson Is 'Proud' to Be the 1st Woman to Host the NFL Honors: 'It's a Really Cool Thing' (Exclusive)

Kelly Clarkson
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

The songstress and TV personality spoke with ET at the NFL Honors in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday.

A real game changer! Kelly Clarkson is hosting this year's NFL Honors, and she's excited about having the distinction of being the first female host in the event's history.

Clarkson spoke exclusively with ET's Kevin Frazier on the carpet at the star-studded event at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday, and opened up about breaking new ground.

"I mean, that it’s a really cool thing," she said with a smile. "It’s a lot of weight to carry, 'cause I know there’s a lot of females in this whole industry in general. I was like, 'Man, I want them all to be standing there with me.'"

"But I’m gonna stand for them and I hope everybody has a good time tonight," she added. "I’m very proud to be the first one."

Of course, this isn't too far out of left field for Clarkson, who hosts her own daytime talk show -- and has hosted awards shows in the past.

"I guess [once] you host a show they start asking you to host everything," she joked. "I’m excited though! This is actually the year I really got into football with my girlfriends and my sisters."

Clarkson, who explained that she's now a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan, also hinted at what audience members might be able to expect from her time as host of the NFL Honors, and played coy when asked whether or not she might belt out a tune or two.

"Oh, um, I don’t know. We shall see. Would you like me to?" she said with a laugh. "We’ll see. There’s [going to be] music tonight, in general. My band’s here from my show."

The 2023 NFL Honors air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and stream on Peacock.

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