Ryan Seacrest Responds To Rumors He’s Replacing Nick Cannon On ‘AGT’ [Video]
Ryan Seacrest is responding to rumors he could be replacing Nick Cannon as host of America’s Got Talent after Cannon sensationally quit the show after eight seasons.
Seacrest, who’s certainly no stranger to hosting having fronted American Idol, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and On Air With Ryan Seacrest for several years, was recently asked about rumors he could be in line to take over Cannon’s role on the NBC show, and played pretty coy when it came to his response.
TMZ caught up with Ryan as he exited a gym Los Angeles on February 14, quizzing the former American Idol host on the possibility of him slipping into the hosting role Cannon made vacant after confirming his departure in a lengthy statement on Facebook last week.
“That’s the first I’m hearing about it. He’s great on that show,” Seacrest said in response to rumors he could be taking over Cannon’s hosting role, adding that he thinks America’s Got Talent is “a fantastic show” that “could be around forever.”
Though it’s not clear if Seacrest was actually unaware of Nick’s departure, Ryan was then asked point blank by photographers if he’d take on the new hosting role should NBC asked.
“If approached yes or no, would you take it?” the photographer asked Ryan, to which Seacrest was reluctant to give an answer to the swirling America’s Got Talent rumors and instead opted to stay tight-lipped.
“This is so much breaking news, I can’t ingest it,” Ryan joked to the awaiting paparazzo, just as Seacrest’s driver closed the door to his vehicle and sped away.
Ryan Seacrest’s name has been throw into the mix as a possible replacement for Nick ever since Cannon announced he was leaving the show on Facebook, slamming NBC in a statement after he claimed he had been “punished” after joking during a comedy routine that fronting the talent search since 2009 had taken away his “black card.”
USA Today reported that Nick Cannon wrote on social media that he was “deeply saddened” about leaving, but claimed that he was “threatened with termination” by NBC bosses after making the joke because speaking negatively about the network violated the terms of his contract.
Nick did not name his possible replacement in his statement and has not commented on the possibility of Ryan taking on his former hosting role, though Seacrest’s name was quickly thrown into the mix following the demise of American Idol, which aired its farewell season last year.
Though Ryan is playing coy for now, fans were quick to suggest Seacrest replace Cannon on the NBC show on Twitter, claiming that the host is more than likely the top possible replacement following Nick’s sensational decision to quit.
“Ryan is the front-runner to replace Nick on America’s Got Talent #AGT,” Twitter user @Tony_Rousketos tweeted out amid the speculation Seacrest could be heading to NBC, while @22Lamb22 joked of Ryan, “@NickCannon I think @RyanSeacrest is on the phone with AGT right now.”
NBC have yet to comment on the rumors Ryan could be in talks to take over Nick’s now vacant hosting position on America’s Got Talent, though Seacrest did joke during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in December that he was actually looking for another job following the end of American Idol.
“I have one less job. There’s no Idol,” Seacrest told Kimmel just months before Cannon sensationally quit America’s Got Talent. “So, I’m actually looking for something else.”
“It’s true,” Ryan continued after the late night host called Seacrest’s pursuit of yet another job “ridiculous” last year. “I want to do something else.”
Do you think Ryan Seacrest should replace Nick Cannon on America’s Got Talent?
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
