‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Hosts Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora on Seacrest’s Best and Worst Moments Over 20 Years of Hosting — and if Ora Is Up for Two Decades, Too
Ryan Seacrest will be ringing in his 20th New Year as host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” Tuesday night, with Rita Ora returning as his co-host for the second year in a row for the ABC event.
Over the past two decades, the “American Idol” and new “Wheel of Fortune” host has accumulated hundreds of memories from his annual Dec. 31 gig — some better than others.
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“It’s hard to pick a favorite,” Seacrest tells Variety during an interview in front of the iconic Times Square ball ahead of a Monday rehearsal for the big show. “There’s a favorite each year, but I can’t remember all the years. I guess my favorite was my first year co-hosting solo after Dick passed the baton to me because I felt incredible, incredible pressure. I could not enjoy it because I felt so much stress. But looking back, I’m glad that it went the way it did, and I’m still here.”
That’s a high — but as for the lows since 2005?
“There are a lot of things that maybe you know about, maybe you don’t know about,” Seacrest says. “I’ve given away my coat to somebody that’s cold and realized I’ve given away all of my communications to the booth because my [headphones] were attached to my coat and I couldn’t understand or hear anything that was going on. Those are moments where you just get caught up in it and you forget that you’re doing this job, too.”
Ora is only on her second turn co-hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” but she’s already more drawn to the energy of this experience to traditional TV gigs.
“Live TV is definitely amazing,” Ora says. “I prefer live TV to pre-taped, because I love how it’s on time and it’s the adrenaline. I really work well under pressure. And then the performances are just always magical; seeing people do their thing in action. I’m a big live performance person, and I’ll be performing this year, too, which I’m very nervous about, actually.”
Ora (who will be “setting the tone for 2025” with her performance just after the ball drops, per Seacrest) is part of a Times Square lineup that also includes Carrie Underwood, Megan Moroney, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, TLC and the Jonas Brothers. The Dick Clark Productions-hosted show kicks off live at 8 p.m. on ABC and will stream the next day on Hulu.
Looking ahead to 2025 resolutions, Ora — who has been cast in the upcoming film adaptation of “Voltron” alongside Henry Cavill and Sterling K. Brown — says she’d be happy to start working her way to matching Seacrest’s 20 years of hosting “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
“If they asked me, if he wants me back,” Ora said. “Having him want me back this year, I was like, ‘Absolutely.’ I mean, I flew in all the way from New Zealand. But for Ryan, I’ll do anything. And this show is so fun and I’m really happy I’m here.”
For Seacrest, his New Year is all about perfecting his latest job as co-host of “Wheel of Fortune,” working alongside former host Pat Sajak’s longtime partner on the game show, Vanna White.
“We’re spinning it and giving away cash and prizes every single week,” Seacrest says. “It’s the most fun ever. You meet three people who’ve been waiting all their lives to be called onto the show. It’s such an institution that people have been waiting to do this for generations. They come on, they all take home some money. And it’s been just a pleasure to watch that happen and also work with Vanna. Vanna has been a friend of mine for two decades, so the fact that we’re working together is super cool.”
Variety parent company PMC owns Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge.
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