Better late than never! On September 9, 2025, ABC announced that Ryan Seacrest will return to “American Idol” for the show’s 24th season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While it’s not a huge surprise, negotiations seemed to take longer than usual, as Seacrest’s involvement has typically been announced by mid-summer in recent years. The news of his new deal with ABC comes two weeks after the network revealed, in late August, that all three judges from season 23 will return — Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood.
Ryan Seacrest & ‘American Idol’ Judges Will Tape Auditions This Fall
GettyThe “American Idol” cast’s contracts are negotiated on a year-by-year basis, but are usually locked in before production begins on a new season.
Auditions for season 24 kicked off on August 26 — just after ABC announced Underwood, Bryan and Richie were returning — with “Idol Across America,” a live, virtual audition process in which hopefuls sing for casting producers. Virtual auditions are organized by state, with producers hearing singers from different regions on specific dates. A final nationwide open call will be held on September 24, and the season 24 cast is likely to begin filming soon after that.
Seacrest is typically present for the judge auditions, chatting with contestants before and after they learn whether they earned a golden ticket to Hollywood. But the locations of those in-person auditions have changed over the years.
In season 22, auditions were held in the judges’ hometowns — Leesburg, Georgia, for Bryan; Tuskegee, Alabama, for Richie; and Santa Barbara, California, for former judge Katy Perry — as well as in Los Angeles and Nashville.
For season 23, auditions were held in New York City, Nashville, and Los Angeles. Locations have not been publicly announced yet for season 24.
Ryan Seacrest Has Been a Fixture on ‘American Idol’ Since It Began
It’s hard to imagine “American Idol” without Seacrest at the helm. The 50-year-old host has been with the iconic talent show since its launch on FOX in 2002, when he and Brian Dunkleman co-hosted the first season, which featured judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Kelly Clarkson became the show’s first winner, and went on to have a massive entertainment career, including multiple hit albums and her own talk show.
Though there have been multiple judges on the show over the years, Seacrest is the one cast member who has remained, including through the show’s transition from FOX to ABC in 2018.
