The host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve says that Carey "knows" what performing on that night is about.
Ryan Seacrest is defending the producers behind Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and those involved in Mariah Carey's flubbed performance.
On Thursday's On Air with Ryan Seacrest on 102.7 KIIS-FM, the TV personality commented on Carey’s live TV showcase that was plagued by technical difficulties. Carey's manager, Stella Bulochnikov, told ET that the GRAMMY winner was "set up to fail" during her performance, but Seacrest insists this when it comes to live television, "things happen."
"It is difficult to perform in Times Square," he explained. "[Carey] knows what Times Square is about. It's complicated. Imagine every single TV outlet in the world was there. So, there's all kinds of technical things going on."
Seacrest also noted that after introducing Carey, he was heading over to another stage that was blocks away to give the countdown, and did not even see the performance. "Things happen on live TV," he added. "If something goes wrong, it's unfortunate for anybody."
The former American Idol host was also quick to defend the crew of the live show, who have been blamed for the awkward incident. "I know this team of producers. I've known these guys for years. I knew Dick Clark very, very well. This is a team that wants to do everything they can to accommodate any artist," he noted. "They and we are in the business of wanting people to look good!"
"Believe me, tricky things, tough things that can happen, happen on live television," Seacrest continued. "It's just unfortunate that it comes to all of this, because it's a night of celebration and a night of fun."
Dick Clark Productions issued a statement to ET in defense of their crew after Carey's rep accused them of attempting to "create a viral moment" by sabotaging the pop star's performance. “In very rare instances there are of course technical errors that can occur with live television, however, an initial investigation has indicated that Dick Clark Productions had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance,” the production company said in a statement. “We want to be clear that we have the utmost respect for Ms. Carey as an artist and acknowledge her tremendous accomplishments in the industry.”
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