The latest American Idol rumors from TMZ: There’s a stalemate in the never-ending Ryan Seacrest negotiations. The parties have agreed on salary, but now their quibbling over an Executive Producer credit.
Ryan Seacrest‘s “done deal” to host the reboot of “American Idol” has hit a snag … but it’s not over money.
TMZ broke the story … Seacrest and Fremantle Media and Core Media — the producers of “American Idol”– have agreed on his salary … somewhere between $10 million and $15 million, substantially less than Katy Perry‘s $25M paycheck but definitely not chump change — but he wants more than a “Host” title.
Sources at Fremantle and Core tell us, Seacrest is asking for an Executive Producer credit but Fremantle is balking, and the stalemate has now lasted more than a week. It’s unclear if Seacrest wants day-to-day responsibilities for producing the show — hard to imagine since there are only 24 hours in a day.
As we reported, we know producers are interested in Lionel Richie as a judge, but we’re told they won’t sign anyone else until they seal the deal with Seacrest.
Really ABC? C’mon. Ryan is a successful producer who rode the American Idol roller coaster from the absolute beginning to the very end. He deserves a seat at the table AND the DOLLARS that come with the EP title. NBC is willing to give The Voice host Carson Daly an Executive Producer credit and to pay Kelly Clarkson the salary that she deserves (SOB). DON’T BLOW IT ABC.
In other news, Ryan Seacrest said at a recent conference at Cannes film festival that flying back and forth from New York City to Los Angeles on a weekly basis would be tough but, “That is one of the things I’m looking at, just on my globe, just what time the show ends and what time I start the next day in New York,” Seacrest said in an interview at the Variety Studio. “I think it’s doable.” Seacrest would have to tape Idol live on Sunday, then fly a red eye back to New York City to be on the Live with Kelly and Ryan set bright and early Monday morning.
How will the show be different in 2017? “I think there are tweaks that the show will make and can make to update itself for 2017,” Seacrest told Variety, “But at the core, the format is the format — that’s the strength of the show: the story telling and the talent… So I don’t think you reinvent the wheel.”
About The Voice nabbing Kelly Clarkson as a coach as Idol was wooing her for the judges panel: “Was I bummed?” Seacrest mused. “I’m happy if she’s doing what she wants to do and she’s happy. That first season was pretty special. I’ve always been a fan of hers.”
He added, “She’s going to be great on The Voice.”
