Ryan Seacrest was in great spirits as he rejoined Kelly Ripa on Tuesday morning for Live With Kelly and Ryan.
The TV host was absent from Monday’s episode after sparking concerns he’d suffered a stroke during the live American Idol finale the previous night.
Seacrest, 45, addressed his absence, saying he took the day off due to ‘exhaustion’ and thanked Kelly’s husband Mark Consuelos for stepping in as guest-host last minute.
He’s back! Ryan Seacrest returned to Live With Kelly and Ryan on Tuesday after his absence Monday following a concerning clip from his American Idol broadcast
Working too hard: The TV host did not address fears about his health but thanked Kelly’s husband Mark Consuelos for stepping in for him when he took the day off
‘I want to thank Mark [Consuelos] for filling in yesterday,’ the TV and radio personality told Kelly.
‘He’s so good at it, also, all the very kind well-wishes for my exhaustion. Working round-the-clock so I got a day off to relax. And here we are once again at it on Live.’
Seacrest didn’t make any mention of the concerns for his health.
On Monday he denied he’d suffered a stroke after he appeared to struggle reading his script during the American Idol finale broadcast.
Thank you: Ryan was appreciative for ‘all the very kind well-wishes for my exhaustion, working around the clock.’
Fans took to Twitter to share their concerns after the 45-year-old, towards the end of the show, appeared to slur his words. Viewers also noticed his right eye looked smaller than his left.
A rep for Ryan told People on Monday: ‘Ryan did not have any kind of stroke last night,’
‘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.’
The producer – known as one of the hardest working people in showbiz – was absent from Live with Kelly & Ryan on Monday morning, with his rep explaining that he was in need of a day off.
‘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.’ the rep added.
Kelly told viewers on Monday that Ryan ‘decided to take the morning off’ after ‘working late on American Idol’.
Kelly’s husband, Mark Consuelos, filled in as a guest co-host for the show.
The usually flawless TV veteran appeared so out of sorts that dozens of viewers shared their concerns on social media, questioning whether Ryan was ill or if he’d suffered a stroke.
Concerning: Seacrest denied suffering a stroke on Sunday after he appeared to struggle during the American Idol broadcast
A rep for Ryan told People on Monday: ‘Ryan did not have any kind of stroke last night,’
Is he ok? The veteran TV host appeared out of sorts towards the end of the broadcast
The usually flawless TV veteran appeared so out of sorts that dozens of viewers shared their concerns on social media, questioning whether Ryan was ill or if he’d suffered a stroke
‘I’m a speech-language pathologist and just watched Ryan Seacrest at the end of the American Idol show. His right eye and corner of the right side of his mouth both appeared to droop on air. He seemed disoriented momentarily and his speech sounded slurred,’ one person observed.
‘Ryan Seacrest are you ok?? You look like something’s wrong’ wrote one fan while another shared ‘I think something is wrong with Ryan Seacrest, BIG TIME. Did anyone else notice his eye and the delay in speech?’
Ryan did not address the concerns on social media and his only tweet on Sunday was a congratulatory message for the season three winner, Just Sam.
Something’s wrong: Viewers expressed concerns after Ryan seemed to struggle through his script
‘Congrats to our Season 3 winner, @CoJustsam! #IdolFinale’ he wrote after the finale aired.
Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the nation in March, American Idol, along with many other TV productions, suspended production with live studio audiences.
The long-running ABC talent contest instead switched to a remote part-live, part-taped hybrid with contestants perform from home.
‘I hope he’s okay’: One fan commented it was ‘such a bizarre ending’ to the show
Co-hosting couple: Kelly’s husband, Mark Consuelos, filled in as a guest co-host for the show on Monday morning
Break: Ryan rarely takes time off from his shows so it was more concerning to fans that he missed Monday’s show. He’s seen with Kelly on a previous episode last week
Earlier this month Ryan opened up to People about how challenging he’s found it to manage his crazy busy schedule during these unprecedented times.
‘We put the show together earlier in the week because there are so many factors to it,’
‘Every once in a while we have to be careful not to step on each other while we’re talking because there’s that delay that we’ve all experienced talking to our families at home on different Zooms and things like that.’
Working hard: Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the nation in March, American Idol, along with many other TV productions, suspended production with live studio audiences