In a telling profile with The Hollywood Reporter, the negotiations behind Ryan Seacrest’s “Live” gig and his future with “American Idol” are discussed in depth. Apparently, the highly successful and overly booked host is nearing a deal with “Idol” producers, despite some back and forth on his salary.
Still, those reveals weren’t the juiciest part of the piece.
Actually, the surprising moment came when Seacrest’s “Live” co-host Kelly Ripa said she’s been eyeing a potential exit from the show. Although she’s the happiest she’s been in a while, Ripa, who’s been hosting “Live” since 2001, told THR, “But at some point, I’d like to wind down. I’m not Ryan, I don’t have his battery. So when I look at him, I see the future of this show.”
She even joked, off the air, about retiring when the topic of sleep came up during a recent segment on the show.
“I’m working on it,” she laughed after a viewer joked that retirement helps with sleep. “I’m working on it.”
But despite her eventual exit, Ripa is loving being seated next to Seacrest every day. After the surprise departure of her former co-host Michael Strahan last year, the 46-year-old is enjoying the transparency she now receives from ABC when it comes to decisions involving “Live.” Execs even asked her how she felt about Seacrest hosting “Idol” again. (As a fan of the show herself, she’s thrilled.)
“He’s just so seamless,” Ripa said of the 42-year-old mogul, “that people don’t realize that what he does is actually very, very difficult.”
Seacrest, on the other hand, says his success is determined by his confidence in particular areas.
“I’ve figured out what I’m better at and what I’m not so good at, and I’m doing the things that I’m better at. The things that I’m not so good at would make me tired and would make me want to slow down,” Seacrest said, adding of taking on the “Idol” gig again and increasing his load: “I never thought that would be possible.”
Read the full profile over at The Hollywood Reporter.
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