With his successful broadcasting career, it’s no wonder why E! Online named 29-year-old Ryan Seacrest one of the “20 Young Guns Under 30 Who Hold Hollywood’s Future in Their Hands” and why he was voted as one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful.” Seacrest is gearing up for his fourth season as host of FOX’s #1 hit show, “American Idol.” Last year he helped FOX enjoy its highest ratings share for the third season in a row. The show recently hit the road in search of the countries’ latest and greatest talent. Seacrest has single-handedly changed the face of “American Idol” making him a household name. With “American Idol,” his radio shows “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” and “AT40”, as well as his many specials and award shows throughout the year, he is able to reach millions of American eyes and ears. Seacrest took over for Casey Kasem counting down American Top 40 every week on the nations top radio stations. AT40 is an institution in the radio world, and with Seacrest taking the reigns; it is broadcast on more stations in larger markets than ever before. Since Seacrest’s debut, AT40 has more than doubled its listeners topping out at a record breaking 3.1 million listeners per show. Radio stations nationwide are able to access the show via satellite or the Internet, insuring the most up to the minute music chart information. The show is broadcast from his “On Air” studio at Hollywood and Highland. Seacrest will expand this brand into his very own “American Top 40 Awards Show” which will have its TV debut in 2005. Seacrest Productions will executive produce the show that will include music’s top stars and performers. This February, Seacrest also took over the most coveted radio position in Los Angeles on its Top 40 radio powerhouse 102.7 KIIS-FM morning show. Since the new Seacrest morning show, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” premiered on February 26 th, 2004, it has broken ratings records for Clear Channel and continues to be #1 among women 18-49. The show broadcasts daily from 5:00-10:00 AM.
This year, Seacrest hosted the Twentieth Century Fox syndicated strip, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” which he also executive produced. Although the show is not returning for a second season, in its debut season, “On Air” had featured the biggest stars in movies and music including: Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, The Rock, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart and many more.
Seacrest’s other hosting credits also include “The Billboard Awards,” "Radio Music Awards," "EXTRA Weekends," E!’s "Talk Soup,” NBC Saturday Night Movie series, "The New Edge" for the Sci-Fi channel, ESPN, and “An Evening at the Academy Awards.” This year, Seacrest serves as a correspondent for “The Tonight Show.” In addition to his hosting credits, he recently signed a deal with AT&T Wireless to brand the world of text messaging. Seacrest played a huge role in bringing this medium to people’s attention during the second season of “American Idol.”
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Ryan’s professional career in broadcasting began at the age of 16 when he applied for an internship at one of Atlanta’s top radio stations, WSTR/STAR 94. Impressed by his talent, the station offered him the nighttime slot (7 p.m. to midnight), making the show one of the station’s highest rated. He then went onto Los Angeles’ top rated KYSR/STAR 98.7 where he had a successful 6-year stint of hosting the highest rated drive-time radio show “Ryan Seacrest for the Ride Home with Lisa Foxx.”
While working at STAR 94 in Atlanta, Seacrest finished high school and went on to attend the University of Georgia where he majored in Journalism. During his freshman year in college, Seacrest was offered his first television show as the host of ESPN’s “Radical Outdoor Challenge,” in which athletes competed against one another for cash prizes.
Seacrest currently resides in Los Angeles.
Ryan Seacrest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
On Monday “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” chats with “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest .
Ryan Seacrest, a self-proclaimed metrosexual, admits to Ellen that he is fond of personal maintenance, sharing, “[I do] a few things, manicure, pedicure, eyebrows, facials, I enjoy a nice deep-tissue massage.” He also shares his beauty regimen with Ellen, from moisturizer, to hydrating seaweed and mineral spray to facial scrub. Later in the show, Ryan let’s his hair down, trying on various wigs to toy with new looks: Punk Rocker— “It gives me a little height which is good too… I’ve been struggling in that department for a while… one quick swoop with the flat iron and I’m good,” he declares of this look. Another look, The Ellen— “It’s worked great for me,” Ellen jokes. “It didn’t hurt Carol Brady either, I’ll tell you that right now.”
They also chat about the new season of “American Idol.” Following is an excerpt from the interview:
Ryan: We saw plenty of, I don't know if you guys remember a guy by the name of William Hung… I appreciate what he’s been able to accomplish because if he can attain his goals, we all can. I call him naïve, we’ve seen our share of naïve contestants. We see great ones but we also see those who are not putting on an act… there are those that have many other voices in their heads… and those are the ones we put on the show…
New Year's duel between FOX's Seacrest and NBC's Daly
With an ailing king, two would-be successors and a ubiquitous substitute, New Year’s Eve on television has more subplots than a party with three ex-girlfriends.
Dick Clark and his "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" on ABC has been the go-to party for 32 years, but he’ll be away from Times Square this Friday as he continues recovering from a stroke. Regis Philbin will fill in for him.
NBC is launching its own party show from Rockefeller Center with Carson Daly. Ryan Seacrest, in his third year for Fox, is bringing his show east to New York for the first time. Even gray-haired hipster Anderson Cooper will emcee a CNN New Year’s show from Times Square with the rock band Green Day.
Both Daly and Seacrest were booked before Clark took ill, an indication of an approaching generational shift. Much like Clark took over from Guy Lombardo as television’s most popular New Year’s Eve host, Daly and Seacrest are jockeying to be the next in line.
"When it’s time to say, ‘OK, here’s the show and the guy that is going to be around on New Year’s Eve for years to come,’ I would definitely like to be the one that the baton gets passed to," Seacrest said.
Don’t expect Clark, health permitting, and ABC to give it up easily. "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" is annually ABC’s second most popular entertainment special after the Oscars.
The ABC New Year’s Eve special will run three and a half hours, starting at 10 p.m. EDT, breaking after an hour for local news and returning from 11:35 p.m. to 2:05 a.m. Besides Simpson, performers include Big & Rich; Ciara; Earth, Wind & Fire; Fabolous; Kenny G; Billy Idol; Los Lonely Boys and Simple Plan.
Philbin, who’s yet to find a TV job he can’t do, was Clark’s choice, Wong said. Between that endorsement and Philbin’s own popularity, ABC doesn’t expect to relinquish its crown.
Daly and Seacrest are both big fans of Clark. They’ve used his career as a model, and speak of him ever-so-respectfully.
"Things could perhaps be up in the air now in light of the recent circumstances, the unfortunate circumstances with Dick," Seacrest said. "They had to put Regis in at the last minute, and I’m not quite sure what that show will be like or feel like without Dick Clark. He certainly will be missed by America."
"It really won’t feel the same without him in Times Square," he said.
Seacrest, now a radio host of "America’s Top 40," will run his show (airing from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET) like a countdown. Not only will the year’s best songs be played, he’ll incorporate pop culture lists like the top five bitter breakups of the year. It’s his first year as executive producer, and Seacrest is looking for ways to make the show distinctive.
Hoobastank and Evanescence will perform, and the show will include the world premiere of a 20-minute Usher video featuring four of his hits.
Usher fans may be delirious, but there’s a danger others could see that time as a huge indulgence. But Seacrest points out it will happen after midnight, when many people stop paying attention to these shows or can’t see straight anyway.
Daly spent five years as host of MTV’s New Year’s Eve party (which,
Ryan Seacrest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
On Monday “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” chats with “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest .
Ryan Seacrest, a self-proclaimed metrosexual, admits to Ellen that he is fond of personal maintenance, sharing, “[I do] a few things, manicure, pedicure, eyebrows, facials, I enjoy a nice deep-tissue massage.” He also shares his beauty regimen with Ellen, from moisturizer, to hydrating seaweed and mineral spray to facial scrub. Later in the show, Ryan let’s his hair down, trying on various wigs to toy with new looks: Punk Rocker— “It gives me a little height which is good too… I’ve been struggling in that department for a while… one quick swoop with the flat iron and I’m good,” he declares of this look. Another look, The Ellen— “It’s worked great for me,” Ellen jokes. “It didn’t hurt Carol Brady either, I’ll tell you that right now.”
They also chat about the new season of “American Idol.” Following is an excerpt from the interview:
Ryan: We saw plenty of, I don't know if you guys remember a guy by the name of William Hung… I appreciate what he’s been able to accomplish because if he can attain his goals, we all can. I call him naïve, we’ve seen our share of naïve contestants. We see great ones but we also see those who are not putting on an act… there are those that have many other voices in their heads… and those are the ones we put on the show…
New Year's duel between FOX's Seacrest and NBC's Daly
With an ailing king, two would-be successors and a ubiquitous substitute, New Year’s Eve on television has more subplots than a party with three ex-girlfriends.
Dick Clark and his "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" on ABC has been the go-to party for 32 years, but he’ll be away from Times Square this Friday as he continues recovering from a stroke. Regis Philbin will fill in for him.
NBC is launching its own party show from Rockefeller Center with Carson Daly. Ryan Seacrest, in his third year for Fox, is bringing his show east to New York for the first time. Even gray-haired hipster Anderson Cooper will emcee a CNN New Year’s show from Times Square with the rock band Green Day.
Both Daly and Seacrest were booked before Clark took ill, an indication of an approaching generational shift. Much like Clark took over from Guy Lombardo as television’s most popular New Year’s Eve host, Daly and Seacrest are jockeying to be the next in line.
"When it’s time to say, ‘OK, here’s the show and the guy that is going to be around on New Year’s Eve for years to come,’ I would definitely like to be the one that the baton gets passed to," Seacrest said.
Don’t expect Clark, health permitting, and ABC to give it up easily. "New Year’s Rockin’ Eve" is annually ABC’s second most popular entertainment special after the Oscars.
The ABC New Year’s Eve special will run three and a half hours, starting at 10 p.m. EDT, breaking after an hour for local news and returning from 11:35 p.m. to 2:05 a.m. Besides Simpson, performers include Big & Rich; Ciara; Earth, Wind & Fire; Fabolous; Kenny G; Billy Idol; Los Lonely Boys and Simple Plan.
Philbin, who’s yet to find a TV job he can’t do, was Clark’s choice, Wong said. Between that endorsement and Philbin’s own popularity, ABC doesn’t expect to relinquish its crown.
Daly and Seacrest are both big fans of Clark. They’ve used his career as a model, and speak of him ever-so-respectfully.
"Things could perhaps be up in the air now in light of the recent circumstances, the unfortunate circumstances with Dick," Seacrest said. "They had to put Regis in at the last minute, and I’m not quite sure what that show will be like or feel like without Dick Clark. He certainly will be missed by America."
"It really won’t feel the same without him in Times Square," he said.
Seacrest, now a radio host of "America’s Top 40," will run his show (airing from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET) like a countdown. Not only will the year’s best songs be played, he’ll incorporate pop culture lists like the top five bitter breakups of the year. It’s his first year as executive producer, and Seacrest is looking for ways to make the show distinctive.
Hoobastank and Evanescence will perform, and the show will include the world premiere of a 20-minute Usher video featuring four of his hits.
Usher fans may be delirious, but there’s a danger others could see that time as a huge indulgence. But Seacrest points out it will happen after midnight, when many people stop paying attention to these shows or can’t see straight anyway.
Daly spent five years as host of MTV’s New Year’s Eve party (which, by the way, has Lindsay Lohan as host this year) before taking last year off. He has re-emerged to inaugurate NBC’s pre-party, which airs from 10 to 11 p.m. Jay Leno will have a live "Tonight" show when the Times Square ball drops.
If Daly is disappointed at leaving the air an hour before midnight, he’s not letting on.
"I didn’t really look past the fact that they said ‘you’ll be on the air live from 10 to 11 and here’s the money,"’ he said. "Maybe next year." He wants the chance to establish himself as a potential New Year’s Eve franchise for NBC.
"This is not about me trying to steal something from Dick Clark," he said.
His show will feature performances by Avril Lavigne, Maroon 5 and Duran Duran. Ever the good corporate soldier, Daly will also include a guest shot by "The Apprentice" star Donald Trump via satellite from Trump’s own New Year’s party in Florida and an appearance by "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams.
(CBS, by the way, is essentially punting on New Year’s Eve, running a prime-time lineup of reruns and a repeat "Late Show" with David Letterman.)
The closest Daly comes to trash talking with his rivals is calling Duran Duran a bigger act than "White Wedding" singer Idol, who’s on ABC.
"There will be something younger and, in my opinion, a little cooler to watch that night," he said.
Cool. That’s the territory that Fox and Seacrest is also trying to stake out.
Could a New Year’s duel be far behind?
Since Seacrest will be in Times Square and Daly a few blocks away in Rockefeller Center, perhaps they could duke it out somewhere in the middle - say, Sixth Avenue.
"He’s much taller and a little bit bigger than me," Seacrest said. "I think he’d probably be able to beat me up."
