Remember at the end of the American Idol 2020 finale, when host Ryan Seacrest seemed uncharacteristically confused as he announced the winner of the season? Although Ryan typically never misses a beat, it seemed the craziness of remote filming during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic got to him.
Now, in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, the Live with Kelly and Ryan host shares that in the wake of that incident, his doctor ordered the man with a million jobs to “do less.”
“To say no to things is difficult,” he told WSJ “You want to say yes. When I say no to something, I feel guilt in terms of an obligation.”
I definitely knew that I needed to slow down
Ryan shared about the incident, “It’s personal. But I definitely knew that I needed to slow down….I just had burnt myself out. I was absolutely beat and fatigued and just wasn’t letting myself accept that. Now I do.”
During the episode, fans began to worry after Ryan began slurring his speech. Fans wondered if she was experiencing a neurological event, such as a stroke or a seizure. The next day, Ryan’s publicist released a statement in order to reassure the public: “Ryan did not have any kind of stroke last night,” his rep told People at the time. “Like many people right now, Ryan is adjusting to the new normal and finding work-home balance, with the added stress of having to put on live shows from home.”
“Between Live With Kelly and Ryan, American Idol, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, and the Disney Family Singalong,” the statement continued, “He has been juggling three to four on-air jobs over the last few weeks and he’s in need of rest.”
But is the mega-producer and host actually slowing down? He recently signed a multi-year deal to host ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest special. And he’s still hosting the daily Live with Kelly and Ryan, not to mention helming American Idol for its 20th season.
Ryan wants to start a family
Ryan also revealed that he’s thinking about starting a family. He’s currently dating model Aubrey Paige.
“I start thinking about blocking off certain times in my month or year or week to focus on my personal life,” he shares. “I do want to have kids. But I haven’t even gone down that path, which is nuts at my age. I think in the last year, it’s become clear to me that yes, I do want to do that…. I want to be available and present.”
