Ryan Seacrest Returns As Host For ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2021′ With Lucy Hale & Billy Porter

Ryan Seacrest will return as the host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2021, and his co-hosts will be Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale and Billy Porter of Pose. This will be the 16th year the Live with Kelly and Ryan star has hosted. He stood alongside the late Dick Clark until his death in 2012. Ryan then took over as the main host of the show with co-hosts that have included Jenny McCarthy and Fergie.

This will be the first time that Billy joins Ryan for the festivities, which will broadcast live from Times Square in New York City. Joined by Lucy Hale, the three will count down the last minutes of 2020 and usher in 2021, reported an ABC press release. He will lead the traditional countdown to midnight in a live show that begins at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC. This event will be closed to the public, who normally number in the hundreds of thousands as revelers stand for hours in locations around the world. However, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in this year’s change.

Returning to the show for her fourth time, multiplatinum-selling artist Ciara will once again oversee the Los Angeles festivities.

Ryan noted in the press release that he looks forward to 2021 and all the hope it brings.

“2020 has been a trying year for the world and I’m thrilled to have Billy and Lucy join me in ushering in a new year with fresh beginnings. We look forward to making sure it’s a night for everyone to remember,” he stated.

This year will mark the 49th anniversary of the special which has celebrated the very best in music and entertainment since its debut in 1972. The hosts at that time were the band Three Dog Night. The special was titled Three Dog Night’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and Clark was a producer. In 1973, George Carlin was the host. Clark took the helm in 1975, reported USA Today.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will set the stage to ring in 2021 with more than five and a half hours of performances that will air from 8 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. EST. It will also give viewers a look at celebrations from around the globe.

Country artist Jessie James Decker will return as a Powerball correspondent for the second year and provide updates throughout the evening, before revealing the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year just after midnight on January 1, 2021.