Ryan Seacrest

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Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American radio and television personality, most famous as the host of the reality-television talent-search series American Idol. He is the host of a morning drive-time radio show on 102.7 KIIS-FM based in Los Angeles, California and the weekly syndicated radio show, American Top 40.

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[edit] Early career

Born in Dunwoody, Georgia, Seacrest began his broadcasting career at age 16 while still in high school as an evening radio host for Atlanta's WSTR-FM (Star 94). He was one of Atlanta's youngest DJ's with high ratings. He also hosted "teen night" at Green's nightclub on Peachtree Industrial Road in the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee. Seacrest went on to attend the University of Georgia, where he majored in journalism. An internship at a radio station led him to host his own local show.

At age 19, he dropped out of the University of Georgia and headed west to pursue a career in radio and television. There he hosted an afternoon radio program on the Los Angeles radio station KYSR, also known as "Star 98.7", from 1995 to 2003. One of his earliest jobs in the television business was as a host of Click, a children's show. He also appeared on Blind Date in 2000 when he was still relatively unknown nationally.

[edit] Breakthrough

Seacrest's first major television job was as the host of The New Edge, a weekend morning show created by CNET showcasing new technology. Later he was a co-host, with Yahoo's Maria Sansone, of the syndicated Gladiators 2000. During college, Seacrest hosted ESPN's Radical Outdoor Challenge program; this led him to a series of television hosting jobs which culminated in the position as co-host of the hit reality TV series American Idol in 2002 with Brian Dunkleman. The following year, Seacrest became the sole host. In 2003, he also hosted the spin-off show, American Juniors.

In January 2004, Seacrest launched a daily entertainment/variety/talk syndicated television program, On Air With Ryan Seacrest. However, due to low ratings, the show was cancelled and aired its last episode on September 17, 2004. Also in 2004, Seacrest created a new sign-off phrase for himself, "Seacrest . . . Out", with hopes that it would become a catch phrase. Unfortunately, it was so poorly received that both the catch phrase and Seacrest became the targets of derision and lampooning; in 2006 he stopped using it.

On January 10, 2004, Seacrest became the new host of the radio program American Top 40, created and formerly hosted by Casey Kasem, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. Prior to taking over as host, Ryan was a substitute host four times in 2003 (during the final months of Kasem's tenure). Seacrest was often mistaken for being a comedian due to his deadpan one-liners.

In February 2004, Seacrest became host of popular Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM's morning show, replacing long-time host Rick Dees. This show, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, remains on the air. Dees has since returned to the airwaves, hosting a new morning show on KMVN-FM (formerly KZLA), aka Movin' 93.9 FM.

In January 2005, Seacrest hosted the "Celebration of Freedom" concert in Washington, DC for President George W. Bush, the Bush family and the United States Military.[1]

In late April 2005, Seacrest received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the age of 30. The honor is typically bestowed upon successful performers in their peak or late in their career (40's to 70's). Thus, in contrast to the numerous legendary Hollywood stars that populate the walk, giving this honor to Seacrest (a man of limited entertainment credits) was not viewed by all as just. One response, in May 2005, generated a substantial amount of media attention. An anonymous blogger using the pseudonym of "Assistant Atlas"[2] offered a prize of $50 to anyone who could successfully defecate on Seacrest's Hollywood Walk of Fame star.[3]

In August 2005, it was announced that Seacrest would become executive producer and co-host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, and that he would be the legendary producer-host's eventual successor.[4] On December 31, 2005, Seacrest performed much of the show's hosting duties; Dick Clark's role was limited due to speech and mobility challenges due to his recovery from a stroke.

Seacrest also occasionally serves as a substitute host on the cable television program Larry King Live.

In January 2006, U.S. cable channel E! announced a three-year, $21 million deal for Seacrest to host and produce various programs, including E! News and its red carpet awards show coverages (E!'s signature piece of original programming).[5]

In what may or may not have been a coincidence, comedienne Kathy Griffin was fired from E! shortly after Seacrest's hiring. Several reports on gossip sites such as Defamer.com claimed that Seacrest had a hand in Griffin's firing, as she often mocks him in her stand-up.

An Associated Press profile portrayed Seacrest as using both the deal with E! and the Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve involvement as a springboard towards a long-lasting career in television production and ownership. He continues to live in Los Angeles.[6]

Seacrest has his own line of designer clothes, called the R Line.

In March 2006, he was photographed kissing actress Teri Hatcher, but she later told Access Hollywood that she was "not attached".[7] Seacrest also stated on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on May 2, 2006 that he "went out with Teri Hatcher a couple times, but that was it."

In April 2006, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special for co-hosting the 2005 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa.

[edit] Gay rumors

In a 2003 interview, Seacrest answered rumors suggesting that he was a homosexual in an interview with the weekly entertainment magazine Steppin' Out [1]:

"I'm trying to think of the best way to describe the feeling I get when I hear that particular rumor. I am a certain way. I am relatively clean-cut and I do like to shop for clothes. If I had to break it down stereotypically, that would be a gay male habit. Well for me it's not. It's a straight male habit."

In May 2006, Teri Hatcher insinuated Seacrest was gay on Late Show with David Letterman. Earlier in the evening, a gag with Mother's Day gifts included a diamond studded heart which read "I'm gay." When Letterman asked "Whose type do you think he is?", she responded "I think there was a Mother's Day gift that he should buy," referring to the earlier joke.

On an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, where Gene Simmons of KISS was a guest, Simmons said that he was going to become a rabbi but then he saw a girl jumprope and he changed his mind. Simmons then asked Seacrest if he went "that way"; Seacrest replied that he went "both ways." There was then an awkward moment of silence, implying that Seacrest may be bisexual.

[edit] Select positions

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050119-15.html
  2. ^ http://assistantatlas.blogspot.com
  3. ^ http://celebrityjustice.warnerbros.com/news/0505/18c.html
  4. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/15/people.clark.seacrest.ap/index.html
  5. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1466438
  6. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/17/tv.ryan.seacrest.ap/index.html
  7. ^ http://www.accesshollywood.com/entertainment/8464145/detail.html

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Casey Kasem		 American Top 40 Host
2004-present		 Succeeded by
none
American Idol
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6
Hosts and Judges
Ryan Seacrest | Randy Jackson | Paula Abdul | Simon Cowell | Brian Dunkleman
Spin-offs
From Justin to Kelly | American Juniors | An American Idol Christmas | Idol Chat | American Idol Extra | American Idol Rewind
Other
American Idol Compilation Series | Controversy | | American Idol Magazine | American Idol Underground | Font | Video game | List of all contestants | List of spin-offs | List of episodes | William Hung
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