ABC’s American Idol revival is bringing back one of the original stars: Ryan Seacrest.
Seacrest confirmed the long rumoured news on his morning show Live with Kelly and Ryan on Thursday after teasing the announcement via social media.
ABC had announced in May plans to bring back the music competition show — which has spent one year off the air — sometime in the next TV season. Auditions are expected to begin later this summer. Pop star Katy Perry is also set to join the revamped singing competition.
“So much of American Idol‘s overwhelming success can be attributed to Ryan, whose larger-than-life personality and laudable dedication to creating quality entertainment has made him a true master of his craft,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement.
“His talent is limitless, and I can’t think of a more appropriate person to honour the Idol legacy as it takes on new life than the man who has been there through it all.”
Seacrest has long been rumoured as host of the revamped Idol, after being named co-host of Live with Kelly, which airs on ABC, in May. (Pawel Kaminski/Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution/AP)
The gig will add much to the already busy Seacrest’s workload. He will be expected to host the live Idol tapings in Los Angeles on Sundays and be back in New York Monday morning to host Live with Kelly and Ryan as well as his iHeartRadio morning drive show.
Seacrest also hosts and executive produces the annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest for ABC.
“It’s genuinely hard to put into words what American Idol means to me,” Seacrest said in a statement. “To be asked to return this year, at my new home at Disney/ABC, is an honour, if not a bit surreal.”
Idol dominated television in the 2000s and minted stars like Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson. The series originally aired on Fox and was cancelled due to fading ratings.
