Ryan Seacrest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Seacrest
Seacrest in 2019
Born	Ryan John Seacrest (1974-12-24) December 24, 1974 (age 50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Education	University of Georgia (no degree)
Occupation	Television presenter television producer
Years active	1993–present
Relatives	Henry Gene Skeen (grandfather)

Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is a famous American television presenter and producer. He is well-known for hosting many popular shows. Ryan became the host of Wheel of Fortune in September 2024. Before that, he co-hosted Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Ryan has also hosted other big shows like American Idol, American Top 40, and On Air with Ryan Seacrest. He started co-hosting Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in 2005. After Dick Clark passed away in 2012, Ryan became the main host of the New Year's Eve show. He has been nominated for many Emmy Awards for his work. He won an Emmy for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in 2010.

Early Life and First Steps in Radio

Ryan John Seacrest was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 24, 1974. His mom, Constance Marie, was a homemaker, and his dad, Gary Lee Seacrest, was a lawyer. Ryan's mom once said that instead of playing with toys, Ryan would often pretend to host shows with a small microphone.

When he was 14, Ryan went to Dunwoody High School. At 16, while still in high school, he got an internship at a radio station called WSTR in Atlanta. A radio host named Tom Sullivan taught him a lot about radio. One day, a DJ was sick, and Ryan got his first chance to be on the air. He worked the weekend overnight shift at WSTR until he graduated high school in 1992.

After high school, Ryan studied journalism at the University of Georgia in 1992. He continued his radio show at a local station in Athens, Georgia. At 19, he left college and moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to follow his dream of having a career in broadcasting.

Ryan's Career in Television

Seacrest at the 2008 Emmy Awards

Early TV Shows and Game Shows

In 1993, Ryan Seacrest hosted the first season of ESPN's Radical Outdoor Challenge. He also hosted several children's game shows. These included Gladiators 2000 from 1994 to 1996, which was a spin-off of American Gladiators. He also hosted Wild Animal Games in 1995 and Click in 1997.

In 2000, he hosted the NBC Saturday Night Movie. During commercial breaks, he would share fun facts about the movie. In 2001, he hosted a reality television show called Ultimate Revenge. This show featured elaborate practical jokes played on family and friends.

Hosting American Idol

In 2002, Ryan became the co-host of a new Fox reality show called American Idol. He hosted it with comedian Brian Dunkleman. The next year, Ryan became the only host after Brian left. The show became very popular, with millions of viewers each week. Ryan became famous around the world because of it.

In 2003, he also hosted a spin-off show called American Juniors. Ryan continued to host American Idol until its original run ended in April 2016. In July 2017, he announced that he would host the Idol revival on ABC.

Hosting New Year's Rockin' Eve

Seacrest in 2013

In August 2005, Ryan Seacrest became an executive producer and co-host of ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. On December 31, 2005, Ryan took on most of the hosting duties. This was because Dick Clark was recovering from a stroke.

In 2009, the show was renamed Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest. This showed how important Ryan's role had become. After Dick Clark passed away, Ryan hosted the 2013 show. He paid tribute to his mentor, Clark, during the broadcast. Ryan has continued to host the show every year since. The 2019–2020 show was his 15th year as host.

Work with E! and NBC

In January 2006, the cable channel E! signed a deal with Ryan. He hosted many shows for them, including E! News and their red-carpet awards show coverage. In April 2012, Ryan signed a deal with NBCUniversal. This expanded his role to include NBC shows. He contributed to the Today Show and Olympics coverage. He also worked on entertainment and news programs. Ryan left E! News in September 2012.

Ryan was a correspondent for NBC during the 2012 London Olympic Games. He also co-hosted the closing ceremony. In 2016, he hosted NBC's late-night coverage for the Rio Olympic Games.

Co-hosting Live with Kelly and Ryan

On May 1, 2017, it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would join Kelly Ripa as the new permanent co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan. He also became an executive producer for the show. Ryan started his new role on the same day the announcement was made. The show became very popular, averaging over 3 million viewers by December 2017.

On February 16, 2023, Ryan announced he would leave Live with Kelly and Ryan in April 2023. He explained that his main home was in Los Angeles, but the show taped in New York City. Traveling back and forth was difficult. His last full-time appearance was on April 14, 2023. Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa's husband, took over as full-time host. Ryan has said he will return to guest host if Mark is ever unavailable.

Hosting Wheel of Fortune

On June 27, 2023, news broke that Ryan Seacrest would become the new host of Wheel of Fortune. He replaced Pat Sajak, who had hosted the show for a very long time. Ryan began his hosting duties on September 9, 2024, with the show's 42nd season.

Other Television Appearances

Starting in 2003, Ryan sometimes filled in as a host on the CNN show Larry King Live. He also co-hosted Larry King's final show in 2010. In 2013, Ryan hosted The Million Second Quiz, an interactive game show on NBC. In 2015, he hosted Knock Knock Live on Fox. This show featured celebrities surprising ordinary people who had done something special and giving them prizes. However, the show was canceled after only two episodes.

Ryan's Radio Career

In January 2004, Ryan Seacrest became the new host of American Top 40. This is a weekly countdown show that was originally created and hosted by Casey Kasem. The show is broadcast across many radio stations.

In February 2004, Ryan also became the host of the morning show for Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM. The show is called On Air With Ryan Seacrest. Since 2017, Ryan has been broadcasting his radio show from a studio in New York City. This is where Live with Kelly and Ryan was produced. In 2018, Ryan was recognized for his contributions to broadcasting.

Producing Television Shows

Seacrest speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2012

Ryan Seacrest's deal with E! included him being an executive producer for various shows. In the same year, Ryan started his own company called Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP). This company creates and produces television shows.

RSP produced the very popular reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. This was the highest-rated show on the E! network. RSP also produced spin-off shows like Khloe and Lamar and Kourtney and Kim Take New York. Another show produced by RSP was the Emmy Award-winning ABC reality series Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

In 2012, RSP produced new reality series such as Melissa and Tye for CMT and Shahs of Sunset for Bravo. They also produced Married to Jonas, which premiered in August 2012. In 2017, Ryan signed a deal for his company to develop scripted shows for ABC Studios.

Business and Fashion Ventures

Ryan Seacrest has also been involved in various business projects. He was an investor in the Typo keyboard, which was a special keyboard for iPhones. He is also an investor in Pathwater, a brand of purified water sold in reusable aluminum bottles.

In 2013, Ryan worked with a company to create his own clothing and accessories line. It is called "Ryan Seacrest Distinction." This brand sells suits, sports coats, ties, belts, and dress shirts. It launched successfully in 2014 and is sold at Macy's stores. Ryan also partnered with a dermatologist to create a men's skincare line called Polished.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

In 2010, Ryan Seacrest started a non-profit organization called the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. This foundation builds special broadcast studios, called Seacrest Studios, inside children's hospitals. These studios allow young patients to explore radio, television, and new media. They can host shows, interview celebrities, and learn about broadcasting.

As of December 2023, the foundation has fourteen Seacrest Studios across the United States. These include studios at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In April 2012, Ryan named singer Selena Gomez an Ambassador for the Foundation.

Ryan also serves on the board of trustees for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is also an honorary co-chair of the GRAMMY Museum Foundation.

Personal Life

Ryan Seacrest has dated several people. He dated dancer and actress Julianne Hough from 2010 to 2013. He also dated model Shayna Taylor from 2017 to 2020.

In May 2016, Ryan returned to the University of Georgia, where he had studied. He gave the commencement speech at the graduation ceremony. He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

In November 2017, an investigation began into a claim made against Ryan. Ryan denied the claims. In February 2018, the investigation was closed due to not enough evidence.

Credits

Radio Shows

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Seacrest para niños