Moviefone Editorial

Tag: ryan-seacrest

  • ‘American Idol’ Will Be Back for Season 3, But Judging Panel May Not

    ‘American Idol’ Will Be Back for Season 3, But Judging Panel May Not

    ABC

    ABC’s revival of singing competition series “American Idol” hasn’t exactly been a ratings juggernaut, but it’s performed well enough that the network wants to keep it around for another year: The show has been renewed for a third season (its 18th season overall, following its previous 15 on Fox).

    But according to Variety, that renewal also comes with a lot of uncertainty, as ABC is hoping to reduce costs on the pricey production during its next outing. One apparent bone of contention, the trade reports, is the price tag of the judging panel, which consists of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.

    The trio of music superstars all command high salaries, chief among them Perry, who reportedly rakes in $25 million per season. Apparently, that’s just too high for ABC.

    “An individual with knowledge of the negotiations said that offers have been made to all three to return but it remains to be seen if they will sign on again,” Variety reports. “Host Ryan Seacrest is believed to be under a long-term deal.”

    It’s too bad if Perry’s paycheck is what stands in the way of her returning for “Idol” season three, though we wouldn’t begrudge her walking away. She’s an A-list musician, after all, and her time comes with a price. (Maybe she can join “Idol” alum Kelly Clarkson on “The Voice” instead? Her judging experience would no doubt make her an excellent mentor on that series.)

    Stay tuned to see how all this shakes out.

    [via: Variety]

  • Taraji P. Henson Was Actually Supporting, Not Shading, Ryan Seacrest at Oscars  

    Actress Taraji P. Henson said fans “misconstrued” her comments on the Oscars 2018 red carpet. She wasn’t shading E!’s Ryan Seacrest, she was “absolutely” supporting him.

    Henson clarified the situation with People. The confusion started on Oscars Sunday when it seemed like many stars might pass up interviews with Seacrest due to the sexual harassment complaints against him by his former personal stylist.

    Henson talked to Seacrest on the red carpet, but said this during her interview:

    “The universe has a way of taking care of good people. [She touched him on the chin.] “You know what I mean?”

    Many fans interpreted that as a shot at Seacrest, especially when her next interview was with Wendi McLendon-Covey on ABC, and she said, “I’m great now that I’m in *your* company.”

    But Henson told People she wasn’t dragging Seacrest, she was trying to have his back:

    “I did it to keep his chin up. It’s an awkward position to be in. He’s been cleared but anyone can say anything.”

    (There’s disagreement about the clearing. E! commissioned the investigation against their own star, using outside counsel, and that investigation found insufficient evidence to support the claims of stylist Suzie Hardy. But Hardy told Variety the investigator never contacted four witnesses she had referred him to corroborate her story.)

    People asked Henson directly if she was supporting Seacrest, and she replied “absolutely.” It should’ve been clear that she was on his side by the end of her red carpet interview, when she hugged him:

    Seacrest appreciated her support:

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  • E! Producer Says She Was Fired for Eva Longoria’s Red Carpet Interview

    E! is having such a rough time lately, they may just remove the exclamation point.

    According to the New York Times, E! freelance producer Aileen Gram-Moreno filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming she was unfairly terminated (and replaced by a male producer who was given a higher title).

    Gram-Moreno had been with E! since 1990 and had worked part-time on its red carpet shows for the past 12 years. She said her firing was specifically tied to her allowing Eva Longoria‘s anti-E! clip to air during the Golden Globes 2018 coverage.

    As the NY Times explained, interviews often happen simultaneously on the red carpet, and E! can’t air all of them live, so some interviews are recorded and then run a bit later. After Debra Messing called out E! in support of former E! News host Catt Sadler, E! execs were apparently concerned about more red carpet call-outs.

    Seen Around - September 2016 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows - Day 2Gram-Moreno’s filing claims that she was then directed to review more interviews before airing. “They said, if there’s any mention of Catt in the preshow, make sure you flag it,” she told the NY Times. “You’re censoring celebrities; it’s just not a good idea in my humble opinion. But it wasn’t my decision.”

    She said there were so many prerecorded interviews that it was close to impossible to fully vet everyone, and she didn’t get a chance to listen to all of the clip of Eva Longoria’s interview alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Gram-Moreno said the decision to air the clip had already been made before she heard what Longoria said about Catt Sadler.

    In her interview with Ryan Seacrest, Longoria had said, “We support gender equity and equal pay, and we hope that E! follows that lead with Catt as well. We stand with you, Catt.”

    Gram-Moreno knew that kind of thing wasn’t supposed to air, so — once she realized what happened — she texted an apology to her executive producer, who replied that it probably couldn’t have been avoided. However, five days later, she got a call from an EP who said she was fired from all of her upcoming red carpet gigs, including the SAG Awards, the Grammys, and the Oscars. She said the EP told her it was because she let the Catt Sadler mention go through.

    E! Entertainment president Adam Stotsky told the New York Times there was no effort to censor celebs, and if there had been, the clips of Debra Messing, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others wouldn’t have been broadcast. He admitted that they did want to know ahead of time about any other mentions of Catt Sadler. “We don’t agree with Debra Messing’s assertion. We’re not in the business of being a megaphone for an inaccurate story.” (Doesn’t that suggest he was interested in blocking their opinions from air?)

    75th Annual Golden Globe Awards - ArrivalsStotsky told the NY Times there was no increase in the number of prerecorded interviews. He said Gram-Moreno’s job was to “screen all of the assets completely and obviously she failed to do that.” He said she was not invited back for more red carpet coverage after a “pattern of poor performance,” saying the Golden Globes incident was just the final straw.

    Gram-Moreno’s lawyer said there had never been any complaints about her performance after 12 years of E! red carpet coverage, and she was given a performance-based raise five years ago.

    Meanwhile, E! is still chugging along with Ryan Seacrest as host of red carpet coverage, despite the allegations against him by his former stylist. It remains to be seen if fewer major stars talk to him on the red carpet, and if any criticism of E! actually makes it to air.

    The Oscars air Sunday, March 4 on ABC, with preshow coverage on E! all day long.

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  • Oscars 2018 Red Carpet: Publicists May Steer Stars Away From Ryan Seacrest  

    Ryan Seacrest will still host E!’s big Oscars red carpet pre-show, despite the resurfaced sexual harassment allegations from his former personal stylist. Seacrest has denied the claims, but since he’s in the spotlight right before Sunday’s Oscars, that may affect his red carpet coverage.

    Suzie Hardy has alleged, per Variety, “years of unwanted sexual aggression — grinding his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear, groping her vagina, and at one point slapping her buttock so hard that it left a large welt still visible hours later.” Seacrest said he was already cleared by a third party investigation.

    It’s a delicate situation. We saw at the Golden Globes how E! could become part of the story, with stars mentioning Catt Sadler live on air. Would Seacrest end up in the same boat?

    Page Six talked to some top Hollywood publicists who said, depending on the client, they will just have the star speak to E!’s Giuliana Rancic or skip E! altogether:

    “Usually Ryan is the one you want … but there are so many outlets on that carpet, why risk it? There’s plenty of other places for clients to get the exposure,” one publicist told Page Six.

    Another added, “[I]f it was a [client who had been involved in the #MeToo movement], I would never put them in that position. I don’t think any smart person would.”

    The 2018 Academy Awards air this Sunday, March 4 on ABC. As usual, E! is doing live red carpet coverage pretty much all day long. ABC is doing an “Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live From the Red Carpet” starting at 6:30 p.m. EST and running until the ceremony at 8 p.m.

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  • Kelly Ripa Reportedly Threw a Fit & Demanded Ryan Secrest Cancel ‘Idol’ Promo on ‘GMA’ 

    “Live With Kelly and Ryan” co-star “Good Morning America” appearance, and made him cancel at the last minute.

    According to “American Idol” team to promote the new season. One source said the day before, maybe even as late as the night before, “Kelly threw a s–t fit and told him he couldn’t do ‘GMA,’ so he pulled his appearance.”

    Seacrest reportedly canceled the gig to stay on Ripa’s good side. “She’s an executive producer on the show, so she has a lot of pull,” another source said. “It’s fair to say she has a lot of influence over him. He joined her show. It sounds like she still feels threatened.”

    Kelly Ripa Honored With Star On The Hollywood Walk Of FameA source added that “there’s still bad blood” between Ripa and her former co-host Michael Strahan, who left “Live!” for “GMA.” Ripa “doesn’t want history to repeat itself and Ryan to be lured to ‘GMA’ too.”

    Seacrest’s spokesperson told Page Six that he had wanted to appear on “GMA” with the new “Idol” judges, but shifting schedules made it too tight, between “Live,” his radio show, and “Idol” production commitments. His rep added, “To suggest any other reason for him not participating is completely false or a misunderstanding of the facts.” A rep for Ripa told Page Six the allegation that she threw a fit and demanded Seacrest cancel the “GMA” appearance “is absolutely not true.”

    From the outside, we don’t know what really happened. What’s clear is that there are still “multiple sources” in the “Live” world willing to continue, if not wholesale create, behind-the-scenes drama. It’s juicy gossip! ABC should just point the cameras backstage and let fans watch THAT show — it would probably get higher ratings than “Idol,” “GMA,” and “Live.”

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  • Yes, Ryan Seacrest Will Be Hosting The ‘American Idol’ Revival on ABC

    Yes, American Idol” revival on ABC. The busier-than-ever Seacrest broke the news on his other ABC hosting gig, “Live With Kelly and Ryan.”

    While judges rotated in and out of the reality competition, Seacrest was the face of the show for its entire 15 year-run on Fox. (Original co-host Brian Dunkleman was only on the show for one season.)

    Variety reports that Seacrest will earn about $12 million to return to “American Idol” and will have creative input and approval on judges and other production issues. So far, the only judge who has signed on to the new version of the show is Katy Perry.

    Seacrest will (somehow) continue to co-host “Live With Kelly and Ryan” from New York, as well as executive produce his radio show “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” from Los Angeles, where “Idol” will also tape. He’s also likely continue to hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” but hey, that’s only one night a year.

    “It’s genuinely hard to put into words what ‘American Idol’ means to me,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for the show and all the career and life opportunities it’s allowed me to experience. It’s been an incredible journey from day one. To be asked to return this year, at my new home at Disney|ABC, is an honor, if not a bit surreal. I believe ABC is the perfect home for ‘Idol,’ and I’ve every confidence the show’s legions of fans will love it — especially “Idol’s” best traditions of showcasing heartwarming stories, remarkable talent discovery, and, best of all, making dreams come true.”

    Live auditions begin in August and the show returns on ABC sometime in 2018.

  • Simon Cowell Isn’t Returning to ‘American Idol’

    Simon CowellEven though “American Idol” is coming back, don’t look for original judge Simon Cowell to return with it.

    The opinionated Brit told Extra, “I was asked to do it, and the answer is no.” (Also not returning: Kelly Clarkson, who will be joining “The Voice” instead.)

    Cowell, who left the show in 2010, added, “I have no interest. My memories are when we first started. It was a different time with Randy [Jackson], Ryan [Seacrest] and Paula [Abdul]. You can’t recreate that.”

    He went on, “Last time I watched, it was not the same show, just the same name. I left for a reason and I never regretted that.”

    He’s still judging aspiring entertainers, but over at NBC on “American’s Got Talent.”

    As for whether Ryan Seacrest will be back, a source tells “Extra” that he’s in “early discussions” to return to hosting. But as he told “Extra,” as he headed to his new gig at “Live with Kelly and Ryan” yesterday, “I would love to do it, but I’ve got this job right now.”

  • ABC Makes Offer to Buy ‘American Idol’ for 2018 Reboot: Report

    (L-R) Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest appear on stage during the American Idol Grand Finale in Hollywood, California April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni - RTSE3MVNews about an “American Idol” revival has been pitchy in the past year, but ABC may have picked the right song. But even if that network wins the reboot competition, it’s going to need a new host. Ryan Seacrest can only do so many jobs at once. (Maybe call Brian Dunkleman?)

    “Idol” ran for 15 seasons on FOX, breaking ratings records along the way. It just ended in 2016, but there was talk of another network scooping it up. TMZ previously said NBC and FOX were in a bidding war that fell apart due to fighting between Fremantle and Core Media Group, who co-produce the show. TMZ just reported that ABC contacted Fremantle last week to make a bid to buy “Idol,” with the hope to reboot the show for a March 2018 premiere.

    Who would host? Ryan Seacrest already has a thousand jobs, including a new one co-hosting ABC’s “Live” with Kelly Ripa. TMZ was told that ABC asked about having Seacrest as host, and even asked if the show could be shot in New York, where Seacrest is now living. But sources said Fremantle nixed the New York idea, saying the show will have to be shot in Los Angeles. ABC seems to think that makes it out of the question for Seacrest to host “Idol,” so — if this does go through at ABC, or anywhere, really — “American Idol” will need a new host.

    TMZ said Fremantle will now go back to Core to see if they can agree to negotiate with ABC, and also go back to NBC and FOX. Stay tuned for more updates … after the break!

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  • Golden Globes 2016: Amy Schumer’s Awkward Red Carpet Interviews Are Flawless

    GQ Men Of The Year Party - ArrivalsAmy Schumer is no stranger to hilarious red carpet high jinks (see her “tripping” in front of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian last year), so it made sense that she would be up for some fun on the Golden Globes red carpet. And boy, did she deliver.

    Schumer’s first stop was making Ryan Seacrest squirm while chatting with E! News. Seacrest attempted to avoid any awkwardness by moving the interview along before anything unfortunate made it on the air, but the comedian was ready with a quick comeback, telling the host in a mock incredulous-voice, “Well my vagina itched and I asked if I could address it and you said, ‘no!’”
    Later, in an interview with Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie for NBC, Lauer attempted to banter with the actress about her penchant for profanity, telling Schumer that the telecast had a 20-second delay.

    Sadly for the “Today” host, Schumer shot back with a zinger about Lauer’s stamina, exclaiming, “Just 20 seconds? All Matt Lauer can do is 20 seconds!”

    Thanks for making awards shows more awesome, Amy. Never change.

    [via: Uproxx]

    ​Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • Ryan Seacrest Is Turning #SquadGoals into a TV Show

    2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards On NBC - ShowIn a world where emoji can inspire a movie, why can’t a hashtag inspire a TV series?

    Well, the latter is now coming true, thanks to Ryan Seacrest, who’s producing a new sitcom for CBS inspired by Taylor Swift‘s favorite trending topic, #SquadGoals. The series, which is dropping the hashtag and just going by “Squad Goals,” is described by Variety as “an ensemble comedy about a group of late 20-something friends who met in college and realize it’s time to finally grow up.”

    The show was scripted by Lindsey Rosin and Aaron Karo, and is “loosely inspired by the writers’ own observations,” according to the trade. Variety also notes that the series “came to fruition when the pair realized they, among many other young adults, were at a pivotal life moment when their friends were at a crossroads, either balancing marriage and mortgages — or margaritas.”

    Rosin made waves in Hollywood earlier this year thanks to her “Cruel Intentions” parody musical, which earned the attention and admiration of the film’s stars. If she brings the same bite to “Squad Goals,” she may win over many more fans soon.

    We’ll see if CBS picks this one up. #StayTuned.

    [via: Variety]

    Photo credit: Getty Images for iHeartMedia

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