Ryan Seacrest Quitting ‘Live’ To Join ‘American Idol’? Deal Offered, But Did He Turn It Down?

Rumors that Ryan Seacrest is going to quit Live! in order to return to American Idol have been circulating for several weeks. Although he recently inked a deal to become Kelly Ripa’s co-host for an undisclosed amount of time, many feel that American Idol simply won’t be the same without Seacrest as its host.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, there have been numerous reports of lower-than-usual ratings for the show since Seacrest’s debut on May 1. While a bit of that is due to the diminishing curiosity factor of who would be Ripa’s new partner in morning crime, some say that the show has taken a pretty significant hit. Couple that with reports of Seacrest being “miserable” in New York City and jetting to Los Angeles every single weekend, and you get the perfect storm.

So, will Ryan Seacrest ultimately leave Live! With Kelly and Ryan for American Idol?

In a recent interview, Seacrest actually admitted that producers from Idol reached out to him before he signed his contract for Live! According to Us Weekly, Seacrest talked about this in the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Seacrest admitted that he loves American Idol and was apparently “nearing a deal” to land him back on the show as the host-with-the-most before he agreed to uproot his life and give morning talk a try. Because, why not?

“I’ve always loved the show. And if I could do it forever, I would do it forever,” Seacrest told The Hollywood Reporter. “Who am I if not the ‘American Idol’ guy?” Seacrest asked. “I had so many walls up in my own head about my life in Los Angeles and my role in Los Angeles,” he added.

“I’ve figured out what I’m better at and what I’m not so good at, and I’m doing the things that I’m better at. The things that I’m not so good at would make me tired and would make me want to slow down,” Secrest added.

Seacrest’s name has long been associated with American Idol. You really couldn’t have one without the other — they were like peanut butter and jelly, so to speak. Now that Seacrest has another job, it’s possible that the show will have to go — as it always does — but this time, it might go on without him. Will American Idol be successful without Seacrest as its host? Only time will tell.

Of course, this does not mean that Seacrest has completely closed the door on his old hosting gig. No one actually knows how long of a contract he signed with Live! It is entirely possible that he could leave after a year and return to host the American Idol revival.

Do you think that Ryan Seacrest will end up going back to American Idol?

[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]