Ryan Seacrest has worked on television for decades and has been part of a number of live broadcasts. Thanks to this, he’s also seen quite a few incidents when things go wrong behind the scenes. Recently, he’s shared a story about finding himself trapped with a few contestants right before American Idol was set to air.
Ryan Seacrest Recently Shared One Surprising Thing That Has Caused Quite A Few Backstage Issues On American Idol
Seacrest has had a lot of hosting jobs over the years. For many, his best known role is presenting American Idol, working on the show since its 2002 debut.
In addition, Seacrest has worked as a host for a number of other programs. This includes Wheel of Fortune, taking over for Pat Sajak in 2024, and his radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
With his expansive career, Seacrest has often had a firsthand account of things going wrong on a show. Speaking with People, he recently opened up about a time when trouble struck on American Idol just two minutes before the show started.
Noting that “there’s so many” stories of things going wrong, Seacrest shared, “Everything from a singer on American Idol forgetting a song to a pop star not being on time for a live performance, to being stuck in the elevator on the way up to the ball on New Year’s Eve. I hate the list of things.”
However, one recurring problem for the show that fans might not expect is elevators. Seacrest explained, “I remember one of the seasons of Idol, two of the contestants for a live show, we were coming, all of us… Elevators seemed to be a problem for me.”
An Elevator Also Once Caused Issues For Seacrest During One New Year’s Eve
Seacrest then shared one occasion where heading down to the set sparked trouble just moments before a live show started. He shared, “We were coming down in the elevator to get to the set and about two minutes before the show, all of us got stuck and there was a panic that we wouldn’t be able to start the Live American Idol.”
This was especially an issue as Seacrest keeps the competition show moving once it goes live. He introduces performances and guides viewers throughout the show. He shared, “My thinking at that point was, ‘This is great. Let’s just bring the camera to the doors of the elevator. I’ll start the show. And when the doors get open, that’s when they’ll see it for the first time.’”
Seacrest then came up with a solution on the spot: make it part of the show. He shared, “The lesson is you begin to embrace those moments and learn how to make them certainly something that is memorable.”
However, it appeared that the issue was actually resolved in time, meaning Seacrest’s plan didn’t need to be put into action. That said, elevators have been an issue for Seacrest on his other programs. Famously, an elevator caused issues for the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host when he tried to reach the 2017 ball on Good Morning America.
What is your reaction to this recent Ryan Seacrest share? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with American Idol news? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.