Kelly Clarkson, a pop star, has acknowledged using physical punishment on her three-year-old daughter when she misbehaves.

During a radio interview, the singer of "Since U Been Gone" discussed her strict parenting approach.

She informed the listeners that she was physically punished as a child and that she applies the same method to her daughter River Rose. She is also a mother to one-year-old Remington.

Kelly said: "My parents spanked me and I did fine in life. I'm from the south y'all so like, we get spankings.

"My mum would call the principal if I ever ended up in the principle 's office and give permission for her to spank me.

"I'm a well rounded individual with a lot of character, so I think it's fine."

She stated that she gives a warning to River Rose before administering physical punishment and believes it has been an effective deterrent.

She said: "I'm like, 'Hi, I'm going to spank you on the bottom if you don't stop right now, this is ridiculous,' and honestly it's really helped.

"She doesn't do that kind of stuff as often."

However, Kelly is aware that her strict parenting approach is not well-received by everyone.

While speaking to 98.9 The Buzz radio station, she said: "The tricky thing is when you're out in public and people think that's wrong or something.

"I find nothing wrong with a spanking."

The use of physical punishment on children is a contentious issue among parents worldwide.

In England, it is illegal to physically discipline a child, however, parents have a legal defense that allows them to do so.

According to the charity Child Law Advice, physical punishment is illegal in England but has a legal defense of "reasonable punishment" under section 58 of the Children Act 2004. This defense only applies to parents and legal guardians.

However, the definition of "reasonable punishment" is not specified in the law, making it a gray area and it depends on the individual circumstances of each case.

Factors such as the age of the child and the nature of the physical punishment are taken into consideration when determining if it is reasonable.

Physical punishment is still legal in Scotland and Wales, however, both countries are considering changing their laws.