‘Wheel of Fortune’s Ryan Seacrest Owns Up to Mistake He Made in His Career

Ryan Seacrest has been hosting for nearly 30 years. In those years, he has learned a lot about what he should and shouldn’t do, and admitted to a mistake he focused too much on in his early days.

Seacrest currently hosts Wheel of Fortune, American Idol, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, as well as numerous iHeartRadio shows/concerts, and his radio show On Air With Ryan Seacrest, among other programs. Although he is fairly new to WOF, he has hosted the others for years.

He told People about the one thing he wishes he had done less of. “I think when I started, I wanted to be perfect,” Seacrest said. “You know, I was trying to prove myself, and I wanted everything to be exactly right and no mistakes, and I didn’t want to admit to not knowing certain things. I think that I sort of maybe focused too much on that early on.”

“For someone that’s starting out, it’s okay to not know everything and not be perfect,” Seacrest told the publication. “And many times, as I’ve seen over the years, those imperfections can become the most connectable qualities and some of the best moments in any content.”

Seacrest is adding another hosting gig to his resume as he hosts Colossal’s Top Host. The winner will lead a six-episode podcast series, take home $25,000, and appear on an episode of On Air. Fans can vote for their favorite voice on the program’s website.

He shared that the key to being a good host is being interested in what the person next to you is saying. According to Seacrest, a good host tries to be their authentic self. “And that doesn’t always mean you have to be perfect or know everything for sure, but just curious and genuine,” the host said.

“Curious, genuine, authentic. I think that’s what makes for a great connection with people, whether it be audio, video, or the combination.”

As for the advice he would give someone auditioning for Top Host would be to listen rather than talk. “I really believe, and I had to learn this over the years, that the best hosts and best conversationalists with others in an interview are those who can listen the most and listen the best and not necessarily have to follow a prepared list of questions or prepared narrative conversation,” he said.

Another key to being a good host is preparation, Seacrest said. He shared that preparing what you have to say and preparing for any situation is what gives him comfort and confidence.

Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock

American Idol, Season 25, TBD 2027, ABC