Image Credit: FoxIn all the American Idol judges panel replacement casting hoo-hah this week — I hear it’s gonna be J.Lo! I hear it’s gonna be Harry Connick Jr.! I hear it’s a gonna be a set of Sonny and Cher salt-and-pepper shakers! — the one question no one is asking is: Does Ryan Seacrest still have a job? Well, that’s because Seacrest signed a new contract last summer for three years of Idol hosting at the princely sum of $15 million a pop.
Despite being debatably the hardest working guy in showbiz, he shows no outward signs of fatigue when it comes to the karaoke juggernaut. His easy professionalism and unflappable calm have negotiated the Idol ship past plenty of obstacles over the years, and since surviving the show’s first casting shakeup — the removal of his wonder twin, Dunkleman, after season 1 — Seacrest has so intricately woven his cypher of a personality into the fabric of the show that it’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in the job.
Then again, we thought that about Simon Cowell, too.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Would Idol even be watchable without Ryan? Will it benefit from having him serve as a holdover (quite possibly along with Randy Jackson, though that isn’t yet confirmed) from the original regime?
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I actually think Seacrest does a pretty good job on the show for the most part. (This past year, I definitely could’ve done without him slow dancing with another dude during a Tim Urban performance or trying to make Didi Benami cry during a post-performance interview).
However, I can DEFINITELY picture the show without him. If anything, Ellen should’ve taken HIS job instead of becoming a(n ultimately useless) judge.
Totally agree. Hated Ryan last season. When someone suggested Ellen as his replacement, I thought that was genius. She’d be awesome as the host.
The slow dance was exactly what I thought of when I read the word unflappable. I think he mixed up his Fenphen and his Ambien last year.
Never thought of that…You’re right! Ellen would have been better as a host fo AI than as a judge..Anyway, Ryan is doing a great job as a host but I would not miss him at all if he were to leave.
I agree, Ellen would have been a great host! At this point it doesn’t matter anymore – the direction it seems to be going with the judges, I won’t be watching anymore no matter who is the HOST.
Yeah, so true – Ryan’s good, but the show could go on without him. They talk as if he’s Simon, and gave him that huge contract for $10 million a season just for hosting, and it caused all that bad blood when Paula *only* wanted $5 million. They could probably get a suitable substitute for him for a fraction of what they’re paying him now.
I completely agee with you. I’m not a Ryan fan and Ellen would be great in his place. Then the show might actually be more watchable.
There are a lot of haters where Ryan is concerned, but I totally agree. He’s one of the best hosts of live television working at the moment. (Cat’s fantastic, but her show isn’t live, she doesn’t have to control Nigel the way Ryan had to control Simon, and the dancers are a scosh more professional than the singers on Idol.) I could imagine the show without him (everyone’s replaceable) but I can’t think of anyone who could run that three-ring circus as well as he does.
Hmmmm… Perhaps you miss the part where every night she comes out and says “We’re broadcasting live from LA to the east coast…”
You must have not watched it recently because THIS year So You Think You Can Dance is live and Cat does a fantastic job of ad-libbing!
Cat is live now and I think is the better host. I think she has lost a bit too much weight and they are putting some fugly outfits on her, but she wears most of them as well as could be worn. Mostly, I think it is amazing how she connects with the judges, audience, and especially the contestants.
Ryan does a good job, but his fatigue was showing this past season.
Cat styles and dresses herself. She picks out her own clothing.
he shows no outward signs of fatigue when it comes to the karaoke juggernaut.
………..
That’s why he made a complete ass of himself last season and when the contestants asked him if he were okay, he said that he was slap happy with fatigue–that’s where the Dinkleman flap came from last season.
Whoops…I forgot to mention to the cruel Dunkleman joke he made last season. (About Dunkleman showing up at “Idol Gives Back.”)
seacrest is awesome. idol can be such a mess in how it functions sometimes, especially the last two seasons, but he keeps it running pretty smoothly, or at least as smooth as possible. plus he’s charismatic and funny, which shows especially during the audition rounds.
I find nothing about Gaycrest charismatic. He is a vile little turd.
Get rid of him! He was terrible last season! Cat Deely for the win!!
I can’t stand how he over annunciates everything, but I guess that’s mainly from his radio background. The gay and Simon’s shirt jokes got old about 3 years ago. I liked the old Ryan better, back when he still sounded sincere and acted like a humbled host, Now he just seem to go way over the top with his interviews and wrongly timed jokes. Get rid of him already.
Seacrest is the worst… he is useless. He cannot conduct an interview properly, he cannot announce simple sentences without sounding like a crackhead learning to read, and he’s sooo smug and over-confidant about his “talents.”
I would have rather seen AI let Ryan go and replace him with Ellen. Too late now.
next to Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest is the worst part of American Idol. so smarmy and rude. would love to see him gone.
He is very pretty
What?!?! Reptilian, yes; pretty, no.
Agreed. Ryan is hot. (Occasional cheesiness aside.)
Seacrest has always come off as a bit mechanical but I must say that Carson Daily is a lot worse.
To me, Ryan makes the show nearly unwatchable. Especially this last season, he was constantly rude and obnoxious, and he’s increasingly tried to make the show about HIM. I wish they would find a new host.
I can actually tolerate Seacrest, but I wouldn’t have cared to see him go.
Is this true about the salt-and-pepper shakers? They’d be such an improvement over Randy Jackson.
Ryan Seacrest as host was what I hoped would change about American Idol. Between his cheesy lines, ridiculous banter with the judges, and utter lack of care with what he asked the contestants (ie. pressuring Didi Benami to talk about her friend who passed away), I can hardly stand watching him.
I agree about the Didi Benami thing. That was a low point.
I like Ryan a lot–to me, he’s as iconic to AI as Simon was. Was sad to see Paula go. Same for Simon. Ellen made the right choice leaving gracefully. I would love Harry Connick Jr. and I think J.Lo. might be a good fit, too. Would much prefer them to Justin Timberlake and Elton John…