OMG!Ryan Seacrest Reveals He was Almost an ‘American Idol’ Judge — Not Host!

Reality TV

Dec 15, 2015 4:58 pm·

By Julia Birkinbine

Picture

Halle Berry and Daughter Nahla Aubry’s Rare Outing: Photos

Halle Berry’s Daughter Nahla Looks All Grown Up During Rare Outing

Celebrities Over 60 Bikini Photos: Sexy Swimsuit Pictures

Celebrities Over 60 Rocking Bikinis: Photos of Christie Brinkley, More

Lara Spencer Bikini Photos: ‘GMA’ Host’s Swimsuit Pictures

Out for a Swim! See ‘GMA’ Host Lara Spencer’s Gorgeous Bikini Photos

where-does-pierce-brosnan-live-photos-inside-his-hawaii-home2021

Paradise! Tour Pierce Brosnan’s Beachfront Hawaii Estate With Wife Keely

Ashley and Michael Cordray’s 2 Daughters: Meet Elle and Emma

Their Little Helpers! Meet Ashley and Michael Cordray’s 3 Daughters

Wait, what?!

In a new interview, Ryan Seacrest revealed he was originally asked to be a judge on American Idol when the show was first being developed in the early 2000s, but instead asked to serve as the long-running reality competition’s host!

Ryan on American Idol in May 2015.

“I said to [the producers], ‘Who’s the host?’ They said, ‘Well we’ve already got a host, but we could audition you to be the co-host,'” Ryan recalled in a newly released promotional video for Idol‘s upcoming 15th and final season.

RELATED: Is Ryan Seacrest Engaged?!

Of course, Ryan, 40, was ultimately cast as a co-host alongside TV personality Brian Dunkleman — who later left the show after the first season — while the judges’ panel was filled with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Click through the gallery below to see all the past American Idol winners then and now!

1 of 16

Kelly Clarkson — Season 1, 2002

The 35-year-old has sold more than 45 million albums and won three Grammys since her time on American Idol. She married manager Brandon Blackstock in 2013, and the duo has two children together.

2 of 16

Ruben Studdard — Season 2, 2003

The 39-year-old champ has released six albums, with his first going platinum. He's been nominated for one Grammy and appeared on Season 15 of The Biggest Loser.

3 of 16

Fantasia Barrino — Season 3, 2004

The 33-year-old singer has since released six albums and won a Grammy Award. She welcomed a son named Dallas in 2011, and married businessman Kendall Taylor in July 2015.

4 of 16

Carrie Underwood — Season 4, 2005

The 35-year-old has scooped up seven Grammys and sold more than 65 million albums worldwide. She married pro-hockey player Mike Fisher in 2010, and they welcomed their first child, a son named Isaiah, in February 2015.

5 of 16

Taylor Hicks — Season 5, 2006

The silver-haired 41-year-old and leader of the "Soul Patrol" made his Broadway debut in 2008 with Grease and headlined a residency in Las Vegas. He currently hosts a television show called State Plate.

6 of 16

Jordin Sparks — Season 6, 2007

Jordin, 28, released her third studio album, Right Here Right Now, in August 2015. She's been nominated for one Grammy and in 2017 married Dana Isaiah, and is currently expecting a baby boy.

7 of 16

David Cook — Season 7, 2008

The 35-year-old has released a total of four albums, including 2015's Digital Vein. He became an advocate for brain cancer research following the death of his brother in 2009 from the disease.

8 of 16

Kris Allen — Season 8, 2009

After taking home the win, the 32-year-old released five albums, including 2016's Letting You In. He and his wife Katy O'Connell have two children.

9 of 16

Lee DeWyze — Season 9, 2010

The 31-year-old released his last album, Oil & Water, in February 2016. He married actress Jonna Walsh in 2012.

10 of 16

Scotty McCreery — Season 10, 2011

The 24-year-old has become a well-respected artist in country music circles, winning two American Country Awards. He's currently attending North Carolina State University. In 2017, he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Gabi Dugal.

11 of 16

Phillip Phillips — Season 11, 2012

The victor, 27, had a number of hit singles from his debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon, including "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone." He married girlfriend Hannah Blackwell in October 2015.

12 of 16

Candice Glover — Season 12, 2013

The 28-year-old is preparing to release her second album independently. She was a performer at the 2014 Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.

13 of 16

Caleb Johnson — Season 13, 2014

The 26-year-old's debut album, Testify, came out in August 2014. After parting ways with his record label in late 2015, he's working on releasing his second album independently.

14 of 16

Nick Fradiani — Season 14, 2015

The 32-year-old released his debut album, Hurricane, in August 2016, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

15 of 16

Trent Harmon — Season 15, 2016

The 27-year-old won Idol's final season in April 2016. After signing with Big Machine Records, he released two singles called "Falling" and "There's a Girl".

16 of 16

We're loving the Idol reboot so far!

Just For You

Conversation

All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Closer Weekly does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.