American Idol host Ryan Seacrest recently opened up about how he views his legacy on the show. Seacrest called it a “big question,” but shared what he hopes to give viewers at home through his role as host.
Ryan Seacrest Reflects on American Idol
“That’s a big question. I haven’t thought about legacy yet,” Seacrest told People. “In terms of what I hope people expect from me, or get when I’m on any show, is that they feel comfortable watching it. They enjoy it.”
Seacrest noted that people of any age can watch American Idol as a family, and he hopes to “make them feel comfortable, and as if we’ve known each other for a long time, even if we’ve never met.”
He noted that he’s learned to “go with the flow” in his time hosting the show, explaining, “When we get into our live shows, we have an idea of how it’s going to go, but it never really goes that way. And you follow the ball, and make people feel as comfortable as they can on the stage, and have fun with the judges and that’s the equation.”
SEE ALSO: RYAN SEACREST’S BEST MOMENTS ON ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
Seacrest Has Hosted the Show Since Season 1
Ryan Seacrest has been the host of American Idol for 24 seasons now, starting with Season 1 in 2002. He told People that he derives his “energy” to return each season from “seeing new people every year from all over the country, many of them, now, have grown up watching the show and waited all their lives for this moment to audition.”
The show just premiered Season 24 on ABC earlier this week, as Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan return to the judging panel. This season features a few twists compared to past years, including a change of setting for Hollywood Week to Nashville, as well as new social media voting.
You can catch new episodes of American Idol Season 24 Monday nights at 8/7c on ABC. The show is currently in the audition phase, as the judges hand out Golden Tickets to deserving singers.
