For lovers of morning television, this is a bit of a bittersweet week as Ryan Seacrest steps down as the co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan after a six-year run.
It's not like he doesn’t have other jobs. He is among the hardest-working guys in show biz and is also the richest. That’s likely one of the reasons he is giving up the morning gig.
Live is filmed in New York while American Idol is in Los Angeles. When the shows go on remote or to various audition cities, you can just imagine the travel time and accompanying exhaustion.
Ryan would do the talk show then go downstairs where a radio studio had been built so he could do his radio show on KISS-FM in Los Angeles.
Apparently, when he agreed to co-host with Kelly Ripa, it was only supposed to be for three years, but he enjoyed it enough to sign on for another three.
It's interesting when you watch on-air personalities on a daily basis, you can pick up on subtle changes. I know Kelly and Ryan had been friends for years and they really do have a good rapport, but there have been some signs of strain.
Every once in a while, you could feel a little tension. Maybe the laughs were not quite sincere. Did you catch an eye roll here and there?
Kelly has this bad habit of being overly detailed in every personal story and you could often see Ryan wanting to move it along.
She also tends to interrupt and correct him. Like any partnership, sometimes the person just grates on your nerves. I think he wanted to end the job and save the friendship. Just my guess.
Plus, he wants to move on to the olive oil business. He has his own olive trees and has said he’s interested in entering the food industry. Hey, it worked for Paul Newman!
Ryan is certainly not one to let the grass grow under his feet. Hosting duties will continue for American Idol and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve every New Year’s Eve ... and whatever else he is signed to do. He may not quite be burned out, but he must be getting close.
Or maybe he just wants to finally have a long-lasting relationship. His punishing schedule has not proven to be beneficial to keeping romance alive. If you pay attention, his girlfriends usually last a few years and then move on.
At 48, maybe he wants a better work-life balance.
Either way, I think Ryan is the quintessential broadcaster. I also considered him to be this generation’s Dick Clark — classy, professional, personable, and talented.
Ryan has found a way of being totally relatable, despite being richer than Midas — Celebrity Networth says he’s worth $450 million. He can also juggle a dozen responsibilities during a live show and make it appear effortless. Making something really hard look easy is his gift.
I know we don’t need to start a GoFundMe for him, but I will definitely miss his contribution to daytime TV.
As host, Ryan has been the most entertaining since the retirement of the true original, Regis Philbin. Nobody ever did that job any better. All in all, it has been a fun and uplifting way to start the day.
Taking over will be Kelly’s real-life husband, Mark Consuelos, who is equally charming and entertaining. Whether that is a smart move — personal or career-wise — remains to be seen. I think there can be too much togetherness, but we shall soon see.
Ryan’s last day is Friday, April 14 on the ABC show and Mark starts on Monday, April 17.
Seacrest, out!
