Seacrest out! Ryan Seacrest left fans confused and speculative after he gave his final sign-off on the series finale of American Idol on Thursday, April 7. With tears in his eyes, the host ended the show with a cryptic goodbye, which he later explained on Twitter.
As season 15 winner Trent Harmon celebrated his victory with fellow contestants, an emotional Seacrest, 41, stood off to the side and told the audience, “One more time — this is so tough — we say to you, from Hollywood, goodnight America,” before slyly adding, “For now.”
“I didn’t want to say goodbye last night,” the radio personality explained on Twitter on Friday, April 8. “Thank you for 15 amazing seasons #IdolFinale.”
Earlier in the week, American Idol creator Simon Fuller told Billboard that the hit Fox singing competition will “certainly be coming back” one day.
“There will no doubt be another format or refinement or elevation of the format,” the producer, 55, explained. “Now I can actually revamp it and come up with a new version. And we can look back on 15 seasons and think of some legitimate ways to allow people to enjoy them again, maybe adding another dimension to it.”
Fuller added, “My head is exploding with opportunities. The next generation of Idol — and Idol will certainly be coming back for sure — will have a youthful glow and it will be pioneering again, just as it was when we first began.”
American Idol crowned Harmon, 25, the series’ 15th winner (with fan favorite La’Porsha Renae as the runner-up) during a star-studded finale, which included appearances from Seacrest’s former cohost, Brian Dunkleman, past judges Nicki Minaj, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres and Steven Tyler, and countless beloved contestants, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson. The show’s original judging panel — Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson — also reunited for the emotional episode.
