Kelly Clarkson was incorrectly informed she had cancer before the Grammys in 2006.
The 34-year-old singer, who won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for ‘Since U Been Gone’ and Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Breakaway’ at the prestigious awards ceremony that year, admits she spent "the whole day crying" after getting some bad news from her doctor.
Recalling how the momentous occasion was "ruined" for her, the star told Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast: "Well, not many people know this – not to be a Debbie Downer – but I was told that morning that I had cancerous results for something. Here’s the horrible part: I went the whole day crying. They redid my makeup like four times because I was like, ‘Wow, so young.’ I was just completely freaking out. Then when I won, I thought, ‘Oh my God. This is like God giving me one more thing before something horrible happens.’"
Kelly discovered shortly after the ceremony that she had received the wrong results and was given the all clear.
The ‘Dance With Me’ hitmaker said: "I went to the doctor’s the next day and they apologised for mixing up results. And I was like, ‘Are you for real?!" I was like, ‘You completely ruined my entire [experience].’ The first time for an artist…as a kid watching the Grammys, that was a big dream! It was kind of the worst/greatest day. And the next day was also the worst/greatest day because I wanted to punch someone. I was like, ‘Who mixes up results? Why wouldn’t you test again?’ It was very much a roller coaster ride, that day, for me. So, it’s kind of unfortunate, but a lot of the moments got stolen from that mishap. But hey, I didn’t have cancer!
"I don’t really tell that story, because it’s kind of a Debbie Downer, but that’s the real story. You think it would’ve been the greatest night ever for an artist. And then it was like a joke…like, ‘This is my last hurrah!’ I was so dramatic about it because I was twenty-something and scared. It was so weird. I don’t even remember anything but being terrified."