KELLY Clarkson has ditched big belts and twiddling with her clothes as she showcases her new figure to the world, a body language expert has said.
She claimed the pop star displayed "genuine sassiness" in her "punching" gestures when she revealed her Christmas plans on set.
Kelly, 41 shared a clip on Instagram Thursday announcing she will be hosting New York’s biggest event on the Christmas calendar.
The NBC montage showed the American Idol winner looking glam on Thursday wearing a tight black leather dress.
Sporting black nail varnish, Kelly clasped her hands and punched them together.
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She said she would be singing at the Rockefeller tree lighting.
Fans reacted with one writing: “You look 19 again.” Another added: “Did she use the diabetic meds to slim down??”
One fan responded: “Maybe going through the whole thing with her ex-husband too.”
Body language expert Judi James said Kelly showed a “180-degree switch” in how she looked - but it's not just because of her weight loss.
The clip of Kelly dropped after her show, The Kelly Clarkson Show launched on Wednesday.
Kelly was dressed in blue jeans and a multicolored blouse and looked confident.
In an exclusive interview, James told The U.S. Sun: “Kelly’s weight loss is symbolic of a completely new version of herself, but also post-divorce.
“The sleeker clothing suggests an air of genuine sassiness emerging now.
"Kelly tended to bundle big clothing up with feature belts that she tended to pull at.
"This suggested previous inner insecurity.
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"Now, her hand on hips displays showed either fake challenge or bravado.”
James noticed Kelly’s body language had changed dramatically since last year.
“Her gestures through 2022 suggested an inner lack of confidence," she said.
“Before, she would be fiddling with the cuff of her shirt or all the belts she used to wear.
“The body language switch is most dramatic in the difference between her full-length poses last year and her current ones.
“When Kelly talks about her upcoming Rockefeller hosting plans she uses a hand clasp.
“This suggests genuine excitement.
"That clasp turns into one hand being punched into the palm of the other.
“This suggests she still has some fighting to do but that she is quietly motivating herself for any future battles in her life.”
Season 5 of Kelly’s show kicked off on October 16. She made a move from Los Angeles to New York over the summer.
In July, she also made a return to her Las Vegas residency.
When her September album, Chemistry dropped, it featured 14 songs inspired by her divorce.
Kelly’s messy split from talent manager Brandon Blackstock was finalized in March 2022.
Despite seeming inseparable, Kelly left Brandon in 2020 after seven years of marriage.
They share children River Rose, nine, and Remington Alexander, seven.
The singer was forced to pay Brandon just over $1.3 million including child support, according to court documents obtained by The Blast.
James noticed Kelly had looked vulnerable when she faced the cameras before.
“Kelly’s signature pose after her divorce was finalized was to stand with hands firmly on her waist, “ she said.
“Kelly’s elbows were often pushed out at right angles.
“This splaying of the elbows mimics a state of aggressive arousal.
“It is a trait of making yourself look bigger.
"This is more of a threat that animals use to avoid attack, meaning it’s largely prompted by fear.
“This was a challenging look that signaled Kelly’s inner vulnerability at that time.”
Kelly has spoken publicly about how she coped and felt about her ex-husband after her divorce.
She has also discussed her weight loss when she shed nearly 40 pounds.
There was speculation that Kelly had surgery or had resorted to weight loss pills.
In 2019 Kelly tweeted: “Other fake news that’s going around about me is that I’ve been taking weird pills 4 weight loss or doing weird fad diets, "
She added: “All of this is not true. I ain’t got time 4 all that. I eat the same stuff I always have. It’s all just made w/different flours/sugars/ingredients.”
Despite admitting to thyroid problems and pregnancy weight gain, Kelly told how she lost 37 pounds on a lectin-free diet in 2018.
“ It's basically about how we cook our food, non-GMO, no pesticides, eating really organic,” she told Extra at the time and added that she did it for medical reasons.
James added: “Kelly has looked fabulous at any weight, "
“But her poses and clothing choices reflect genuine self-esteem now.
“It is often not the body shape or the styling that matters as much as how you carry it.
“Before now, Kelly carried her look in a way to suggest her divorce was eroding her confidence.
“The weight loss and the new, sleeker styling might reflect a turning point in her happiness.
“It is the way she presents herself via her body language that suggests she is finding herself and her confidence again.”
