Ryan Seacrest enters his eleventh season as “American Idol” host with an uncertain future with the program he helped to become ratings gold. His three-year contract is about to expire, and rumor is that it’s apparently been decided that if the show can survive the departure of Simon Cowell, it also can save a few bucks by doing without a big-budget host.
“American Idol” continues to be a TV steamroller. Yet network TV is in tough economic straits, and many millions of dollars are tied up in contracts with Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson.
As for Seacrest’s contractual status, the key word Sunday was “imagine.”
“It’s very hard to imagine the show without Ryan,” Reilly said. “We certainly want to keep him. There’s no creative discussion there whatsoever. It is a deal issue.”
Said Seacrest: “I’ve done this for the last decade. I love doing it, so I can’t imagine not being on every week.”
Added Fox alternative show chief Mike Darnell: “We love Ryan and I can’t imagine the show without him.”
