Why Kelly Clarkson Really Turned Down the Chance to Replace Katy Perry on ‘American Idol’

Kelly Clarkson isn't returning to her old stomping ground.

The talk show host announced on June 10 she's not replacing Katy Perry on American Idol because of "my kiddos," River, 9, and Remington, 8, who live with her in NYC, where The Kelly Clarkson Show is taped.

"We enjoy the park every day, and we enjoy each other," explains the season 1 champ, 42. "That's the reason I can't do Idol."

But there's more to it than that, a source exclusively tells Life & Style.

"Kelly is a bit of a recluse. Besides her talk show, she really has no interest in being in the spotlight. She's a homebody," the insider explains. "Plus, she has a lot of bad memories of L.A. She made bad decisions while living there. She doesn't want to go back to that."