Ryan Seacrest, 48, revealed if he still enjoys hosting American Idol after announcing his exit from Live with Kelly & Ryan. “I really like the live shows,” Ryan said to American Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan during a group interview with Entertainment Tonight on March 2. As the staple host of the ABC singing show, Ryan has really bonded with the judges over the last five years, which is probably why he doesn’t seem to want to leave the show soon.
“We’re in our sixth season together,” Ryan said. “This is more of a statement. How crazy is it to think we’ve been doing this for six years already and we’re still able to put up with each other? Everybody enjoys everybody.” Ryan also acknowledged that “there’s a trust” between himself and Katy, Lionel, and Luke from working together on the show.
Ryan is basically synonymous with American Idol, having hosted the show since the very beginning when it premiered on Fox in 2002. He returned as the host when the show was rebooted by ABC in 2018. But Ryan’s had his hands full during Idol‘s second run with his other job across the country as Kelly Ripa‘s co-host on her NYC-based daytime talk show. After 6 seasons on Live, Ryan announced a major career change on February 16.
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” Ryan said, as he announced his departure from the show live on-air. “She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together. I also want to thank Michael Gelman and the entire staff and crew – we’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people, and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America.”
Ryan is being replaced on Live with Kelly’s husband, Mark Consuelos, 51. “It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark,” Ryan said during his exit speech. Ryan also confirmed that he’ll be back to guest host Live and fill in when he can. But for now, he’s focused on season 21 of American Idol.