Rarely does a representative for a famous celebrity clarify that their celebrity did not have a stroke on live television.
However, that was what Ryan Seacrest’s reps had to do after viewers who tuned in the for the season finale of American Idol were convinced that Seacrest had a stroke.
The visual cues were all there – the usually energetic and verbal host suddenly struggled to find the right words, generally looked lost and had a visibly droopy eye.
Although he denied having a stroke, just hours later, Seacrest phoned in and informed the producers that he was unable to host the “Live” with Kelly Ripa. It was very uncharacteristic for the host who is known for his diligence to take an unscheduled day off just minutes before going live.
Entertainment media Page Six reports that this series of events made many ABC officials worry that Seacrest may be overworking himself to a dangerous degree. He is known for being one of the busiest celebrities in Hollywood.
Seacrest hosts “Live” for ABC and his own radio show that lasts for five hours every weekday. He is also famous for hosting “American Idol” as well as his interview work for festivals for E! and ABC.
He also runs a production company that bears his name, which is most famous for conceiving and producing the numerous reality programs involving the Kardashians. Seacrest has said that he considered this one of his biggest legacies in the entertainment industry.
If all this television work was not enough, Seacrest also has multiple entrepreneurial ventures, including his clothing and skincare products. Thus, it was to no one’s surprise when the host returned to the “Live” to say that he had been exhausted from overworking.
The “Live” is set to take a long break before returning on air, which insiders believe will be a boon for both the host and the network. A personal friend of Seacrest said that the host usually has to wake up at 4am everyday and rarely is not being filmed or recorded, adding that his friend definitely needed a break.
Network officials said that many higher-ups were worried that the host had been overworking, saying that they wanted to prevent another fiasco like the “American Idol” season finale being repeated.
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Replaced!