Sansone & Seacrest Reunion
As Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson gear up for the season finale of American Idol they stopped by Good Day LA last week and it turned into quite the little reunion!
Before Simon Cowell, J Lo, Paula Abdul or even Brian Dunkleman (remember him?), Ryan shared the spotlight with another host: ME!! Years ago, we hosted a game show called Gladiators 2000. It was the kid’s version of American Gladiators and it was a pretty big gig for two teenagers.
Maria & Ryan hosting “Gladiators 2000″ (1994)
It’s been 20 years since those days on Gladiators 2000 so you can imagine how excited I was to finally catch up with Ryan all these years later.
I was 13 the last time I really got to chat with Ryan and I have to say–he hasn’t changed all that much. Ok, he’s got a few more bucks in his pocket, he’s ditched the blonde tips (Hallelujah!), and he certainly doesn’t have to share a one bedroom apartment with a bunch of other TV hopefuls anymore. But he’s still the energetic, super talented, driven as hell kid I met all those years ago.
I learned so much from watching him that summer we worked on G2000. He probably doesn’t realize it but I looked up to him quite a bit (literally and figuratively). He was such a pro and I watched his every move. I joked with him during our interview about how annoyed I was by him as a kid because I thought he was “sooooo Hollywood”. But let’s face it, everything was “sooooo Hollywood” to a 13-year-old kid from Erie, Pennsylvania shooting a big time TV show in LA. My whole family moved to LA that summer and we always joke we felt like the “Beverly Hillbillies”. We were clueless! You should have seen the look on my face when Ryan ordered sushi for lunch. RAW FISH? WHY???
He took me under his wing, and because of that I will always be his biggest fan. This guy knew what he wanted out of life even back then. He had his eye on the prize and boy did it pay off. What he’s done is nothing short of amazing but I can’t say I’m surprised. The kid was born to broadcast. He’s done it…done it better than anyone…and created an empire. And it seriously couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Seacrest next. We’ll find out…right after the break.
