Fans slam Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning over 'horrendous' Olympics commentary during opening ceremony (2024)

Kelly Clarkson's Olympic debut did not go particularly well, at least in the eyes of some.

Alongside NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and NBC sports commentator Mike Tirico, Clarkson co-hosted the network's studio coverage of Friday's opening ceremony in Paris — a first-of-its-kind boat parade which was plagued by rain all evening. The reviews of Clarkson's commentary were, let's say mixed, to put it mildly.

Clarkson, Manning and Tirico broadcasted from an NBC on-site studio throughout the opening ceremony. You would expect the long-time American rights holders for the Olympic Games to put up a high-quality commentary crew for something as important and well-watched as the opening ceremony, but according to many viewers who took to social media, the crew's performance was not up to snuff.

The entire trio took heat online throughout the duration of the event, but fans seemed to especially take aim at Clarkson as the host, singer and 2002 American Idol winner trudged through her first Olympics broadcast.

It wasn't just the American Idol alum getting smoked online, either, as Manning took plenty of criticism alongside Clarkson with fans going in on the legendary quarterback's commentary — or lack thereof — throughout the opening ceremony.

Of course, wherever there are haters there are sure to be backers, too, as others flocked to social media to empathize with and voice their support for Clarkson and Manning, who were seemingly put in a tough spot.

Some even seemed to genuinely enjoy their energy and commentary.

One part of Clarkson's commentary that a lot of viewers did relate to was her praise of Canadian superstar singer Celine Dion, who took the stage to perform live for the first time in five years. Dion revealed in 2022 she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as Stiff Person Syndrome.

The performance brought out an emotional side of Clarkson, who was brought to tears.

"I actually can't talk. That was really beautiful. If people don't know her story...it's just incredible what she's overcome. To have that moment — she's a vocal athlete," Clarkson said.

She continued her thoughts at the end of the broadcast as she fought through tears.

"I've been inspired, I've been dancing, I was not ready for that ending...if you know anything about what she's been going through right now, I'm so sorry, I'm trying to hold it together. But that she got through that, that was incredible. In my field, she is the gold winner for vocal athletes."

It's certainly okay to cut Clarkson some slack for this one as a unique, outdoor opening ceremony like this was never going to be easy to execute from a production standpoint. Clarkson, along with Manning, were put in a tough spot, especially considering their lack of experience with this particular type of broadcasting.

Back in May, NBC Sports Olympic president and executive producer Molly Solomon said this particular opening ceremony was going to be the most-complicated event ever produced.

“It’s audacious, it’s bold, it’s daring and it’s going to be unforgettable,” Solomon told USA TODAY Sports.

The broadcast was certainly unforgettable, but maybe not in the way executives were hoping.