Kelly Clarkson Appears on TV Series 12 Days After Brandon Blackstock’s Death ArticlePure

Kelly Clarkson has returned to television, nearly two weeks after the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.

The Grammy winner, 43, appeared in the first episode of her new NBC limited series Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 12 days after Blackstock died of melanoma on Aug. 7 at age 48.

Clarkson pre-taped the episodes earlier this summer, prior to Blackstock’s death. Future installments of the series — which is inspired by a segment of the same name featured on her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show — will feature Gloria Estefan, Teddy Swims and Lizzo.

The premiere episode featured the Jonas Brothers, who talked with Clarkson about giving her a shoutout in their breakthrough 2006 hit “Year 3000.”

PEOPLE confirmed earlier this month that The Kelly Clarkson Show will return for season 7 this fall.

One day before Blackstock’s death, the singer revealed that he was ill, and she would therefore be postponing her Las Vegas residency in order to be “fully present” for the pair’s children, daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9.

“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill,” Clarkson wrote on Instagram. “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”

Blackstock was laid to rest in a celebration of life on Sunday, Aug. 17, according to his obituary.

“Kelly and Brandon had their ups and downs, but at the end of the day, he was the father of her children and she is absolutely heartbroken for them,” a source told PEOPLE. “Her kids are her entire world, and she’s staying strong for their sake.”

Clarkson and Blackstock were married for seven years before they split in June 2020. He was dating Clarkson’s former assistant Brittney Jones at the time of his death, according to his obituary and to Jones’s LinkedIn.