NEWSRyan Seacrest to be 'American Idol' Host and Judge?
Jan. 13 2010, Published 3:21 p.m. ET
Heidi Klum does it on Project Runway, but will Ryan Seacrest follow in her footsteps and become host and judge of American Idol once Simon Cowell leaves?
Sources tell E! News that producers are exploring the idea of Ryan pulling double duty on the show when Simon jumps ship at the end of the season.
"Anything is possible," says an Idol insider. "Stay tuned."
Ryan's extra role is being debated as Fox fears that the millions of viewers who have made AI the No. 1 show on TV won't stay tuned now that Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell have gone, despite the addition of Ellen DeGeneres to the judging panel.
But according to Simon himself, judging wouldn't be too hard for Ryan to do. "You just literally jump from your stage, onto the judging chair, and that way you get an extra job," he told Ryan in a joint interview. "See, I'm thinking of you, even in my darkest moments."
He added: "Good news for you — when I’m not on the show you'll get to be more involved, Ryan, and I think that’s a positive thing. You’ll definitely get more airtime."
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Ryan hasn't commented further on the possibility, and Fox has also remained silent on the matter.
