Ryan Seacrest's Hectic Work Schedule Has Caused Health Concerns In The Past
Ryan Seacrest may have sacrificed his health for his hectic career.
No one expected Ryan Seacrest to leave "Live! With Kelly & Ryan" without a backup plan. "Live!" paid Seacrest — who'd been with the show since 2017 — $10 million a season, per Parade. So whatever followed would have to be just as big! Now, we know that the beloved host has signed on to replace Pat Sajak on "Wheel of Fortune." "I'm truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak," Seacrest posted to Instagram. "I can say, along with the rest of America, that it's been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them."
Seacrest's upcoming gig has divided viewers of the show. While some fans are supportive of Seacrest's next move, others wish that producers had opted for someone else. But it is perhaps Seacrest who should be upset. While "Wheel of Fortune" is definitely a worthy job, he's already juggling a bunch of other jobs, including "American Idol" and his other various businesses. And while that wouldn't be a problem for a person in pristine health, Seacrest has suffered from a few health problems in the past.
Did Ryan Seacrest have a stroke?
Ryan Seacrest once suffered from a medical event while filming "American Idol." In this video, Seacrest struggled to speak as one side of his face drooped — two of the main stroke symptoms, according to the CDC. Following the broadcast, fans voiced their thoughts about his health. "Watching #AmericanIdol finale and I think Ryan Seacrest just had a stroke. No kidding," tweeted a fan. "Really hoping Ryan Seacrest didn't have a stroke on national televison. #AmericanIdol," wrote another viewer.
Eventually, Seacrest's team responded to the ongoing gossip. "Ryan did not have any kind of stroke last night," shared Seacrest's rep with People. "Like many people right now, Ryan is adjusting to the new normal and finding work-home balance, with the added stress of having to put on live shows from home." They continued. "Between Live with Kelly and Ryan, American Idol, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and the Disney Family Singalong specials, he has been juggling three to four on-air jobs over the last few weeks and he's in need of rest. So today he took a well-deserved day off." During a WSJ cover story, Seacrest spoke further about his viral "American Idol" moment. "It's personal, but I definitely knew that I needed to slow down ... I just had burnt myself out," shared Seacrest. "I was absolutely beat and fatigued and just wasn't letting myself accept that. Now I do."
Other health issues that Ryan Seacrest has faced
Strokes are nothing to play about, so it's great that Ryan Seacrest didn't actually suffer from one. But his intense schedule will probably become much harder to manage as he approaches his twilight years. Besides, Seacrest has dealt with a couple of more inconvenient health problems. During a 2022 episode of "Live! With Kelly & Ryan," Seacrest shared another hurdle he's faced. "I just want to tell you right now. Disclaimer: I have a bad left knee," said Seacrest while speaking with Ripa about an upcoming physical challenge (via The Sun). "And I am down on my knees for this and it's about knee speed, too. It's a meniscus tear. I can't."
Ten years earlier, Seacrest had surgery on his elbow. "I had a probe stuck into my right elbow," Seacrest revealed on his radio show (via E! News). "I'm not [a robot]... [but] they went in with a tiny little probe and they scraped some scar tissue from the tendon, cause I tore the tendon from working out."