He also opened up about the return of ‘American Idol’ during Thursday’s ‘WWHL.’
Ryan Seacrest is defending his team! The 42-year-old TV executive appeared on Thursday night’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen alongside co-host and pal Kelly Ripa.
When a fan asked Seacrest about his thoughts on Mariah Carey’s much talked-about Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance last December, Seacrest wasn’t afraid to get candid.
“What was going through my head was and is -- that crew that team that staff is the best in the business. They put on the biggest live music events and they know what they’re doing. And I know how good they are at their jobs. So my reaction was -- she was working with the best,” he said of the pop diva. “I find it hard to believe they made big mistakes that night.”
Seacrest, who hosted the show in Times Square, said he didn’t realize anything had gone wrong at the time, due to the noisy environment.
“I had to be told that something was going on and then try and find a monitor to react to,” he said. “So I wasn’t quite sure what was happening, actually.”
Seacrest and Carey go way back. The GRAMMY winner was infamously a judge on American Idol. These days Seacrest is preparing to host and produce the reboot of the show in addition to co-hosting LIVE with Kelly and Ryan.
“I think [American Idol], it’s such a great show when it’s done right. It’s been on the air for a long time and frankly I think we could use a good family show that’s fun and it’s warm so I’m not that worried about it,” he said of the competition series.
He added that he’s not angry about NBC’s The Voice, saying, “It’s more of a game show competition. But they’ve got great talent. The format is a different show.”
And though he doesn’t know if American Idol will air multiple nights during the week, Seacrest’s LIVE co-host, Ripa was definitely willing to leave her New York winter behind.
“If they did it more than one night, if we had to shoot the show during the winter in California, wouldn’t that be amazing,” Ripa, 46, gushed. “I am so cold!”
For more on American Idol, watch the clip below!
