Ryan Seacrest is opening up about his career. The “American Idol” host spoke to PEOPLE while promoting Colossal’s “Top Host” show, which searches for the next generation of broadcasters. Seacrest, 51, has hosted “Wheel of Fortune” since 2024, after Pat Sajak retired. The host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” and an Emmy Award winner to boot, Seacrest has a solid case to be among the greatest TV hosts.
Three decades into his career, Seacrest is ready to talk about his regrets. The award-winning host talked about what he would do differently in his PEOPLE interview.
Ryan Seacrest Wishes He Didn’t Try To Be ‘Perfect’
GettyWhen asked if there was something he would have done less looking back, Seacrest had an instant answer. The “American Idol” host said he would try to avoid making mistakes rather than be prepared for them early in his career. He felt that he didn’t do his best work when he was too fixated on getting things right.
“I think when I started, I wanted to be perfect,” Seacrest said in the PEOPLE interview. “You know, I was trying to prove myself, and I wanted everything to be exactly right and no mistakes. And I didn’t want to admit to not knowing certain things. I think that I sort of maybe focused too much on that early on.”
Seacrest’s admission comes at a time when he’s prepared to impart what he’s learned over the last three decades. The presenter said that those new in this field should feel it’s okay to “not be perfect.” He reasoned that the imperfect aspects of the job can make way for the “best moments in any content.”
Seacrest said that the best host is someone who doesn’t try to be someone they aren’t. According to him, being “curious, genuine, authentic” requires showing interest in the person in front of them. As he put it, a good host needs to build a connection with people, no matter what outlet they use.
Ryan Seacrest Talks About What He’s Looking For In The Next Big Host
GettyAs far as his involvement in “Top Host” goes, Ryan Seacrest talked about the qualities he’ll be looking for in each participant. The “Wheel of Fortune” host said that it isn’t how well some talks that impresses him, but how well they are willing to listen. Tying into his regrets earlier in his career, Seacrest elaborated on the value of being a good conversationalist.
“[It’s] how well they listen. It’s not even about the talking,” Seacrest said to PEOPLE. “I really believe, and I had to learn this over the years, that the best hosts and best conversationalists with others in an interview are those who can listen the most and listen the best and not necessarily have to follow a prepared list of questions or prepared narrative conversation.”
Seacrest said that how well an interviewer reacts is one of the strongest indicators of their ability. The award-winning host said that the most likely winner of the competition would be someone who radiates confidence in how well they react. At the heart of his involvement in “Top Host,” Seacrest primarily wants to give a deserving candidate the same kind of break he had when he first started in the industry.
“At the core of this, when I look back at how I got my start, somebody had to give me a break,” Seacrest elaborated. “Somebody had to be willing to open a door. And essentially, that’s what we’re doing with this contest with Top Host.”
