Leave it to Kelly Clarkson to open her brand new talk show in the most epic way—with Steve Carell.
Yup, the 57-year-old actor revisited a famous line from his hit comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin for the premiere episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show on Monday, and fans quickly made the connection.
"Live on tape from Universal Studios in Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen, AHHHHHHH Kelly Clarkson!" he said screamed in the opening moments.
If you didn’t know, this is clearly a reference to a very memorable scene from the 2005 comedy—where Carell’s character goes to get his chest waxed for the first time. During the experience he screams out "Kelly Clarkson!" to cope with the pain.
Ironically, the two stars didn’t meet until 13 years later, and The Office actor documented the moment on Twitter with a photo. Almost a year later, he’s opening her talk show.
Each episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show (which airs on NBC) not only features a celebrity guest, but also a live performance, so the 37-year-old singer can feel in her “element.”
“We start every show with a song. So, I’m covering an artist I really like, and I’m in my element, so I’m comfortable,” she told E! News. “By the time I get down here, it became very easy.” Sounds fitting.
And while we already knew about the music and special guests, Carell’s cameo came as a major surprise to viewers.
Kelly, if you’re reading this, please keep the surprises coming.