Seacrest out!
After six years of co-hosting the titular “Live! With Kelly and Ryan,” Ryan Seacrest announced on Thursday that he will be departing the New York-based talk show in pursuit of moving back to Los Angeles to focus on other endeavors.
“This is something that [Kelly] and I have been talking about for a long time, and it was a tough, tough decision,” Seacrest told viewers. “Last year we spoke, and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host.”
The TV personality and producer told fans he plans to move back west to focus on hosting the upcoming season of “American Idol,” the TV show that first made Seacrest a household name when he became host in 2002.
He will also continue to work with ABC hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve.”
“You are a gem, you are one of my best friends and the greatest part of this entire experience has been that you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member,” Ripa emotionally told Seacrest during Thursday’s broadcast before joking that Seacrest had originally only agreed to do the show for three years.
Seacrest will be replaced by Ripa’s longtime husband, actor Mark Consuelos, and the show will be rebranded to “Live! With Kelly and Mark.”
Ripa called Consuelos “an extension” of Seacrest and one of the only people that she deemed “capable of holding [Seacrest’s] torch.”
“I can’t wait to watch,” Seacrest said excitedly.
Seacrest also shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram post alongside a photo of him and Ripa.
“I’ve been grateful to be able to share a cup of coffee with our viewers everyday, one of the best parts of the gig,” he penned. “I’m looking forward to coming back to guest host in the future and Kelly, I promise to forever share my food photos, chicken eggs, and olive oil with you.”
In 2020, amid the pandemic, rumors had circulated that Seacrest suffered an on-air stroke during a broadcast where his speech appeared slurred and he jumbled his words.
His representative denied the health allegations but noted Seacrest would be slowing down after he did not appear on air the following day.
“Ryan did not have any kind of stroke last night. Like many people right now, Ryan is adjusting to the new normal and finding work-home balance, with the added stress of having to put on live shows from home,” the rep said at the time. “He has been juggling three to four on-air jobs over the last few weeks and he’s in need of rest.”
Seacrest’s net worth is an estimated $450 million.