‘American Idol’: Ryan Seacrest looks back at legacy, more in ‘Today Show’ chat

Want to do something a little crazy? Then go back and watch some of the early episodes of “American Idol,” and look at just how much has changed. Obviously, there’s an entirely different judging panel, but even Ryan Seacrest is very different. He no longer cools like he’s just trying to have a party with the contestants in a t-shirt. The frosted tips are gone (thankfully), and instead you have a guy who operates a much more well-oiled machine. He’s one of the most solid hosts in the business, and consistently does his job well week in and week out.

Yet, Ryan told “The Today Show” this morning while promoting his upcoming “Knock Knock” project for Fox that there was a time when he was even remotely confident going out on stage and trying to fulfill his hosting duties:

“I was scared to death when I first started that show … I was really nervous the first couple of seasons. Fortunately, I got a little more comfortable with it [over time], but I also look back and think to myself, what was I doing with my hair and my wardrobe?“

The reasons for all of this nostalgia is the fact that season 15 of “American Idol” will be the show’s last, and we imagine that throughout the upcoming season airing early next year there will be looks back at some of the early seasons, and where the show came from to get to an American institution. It no longer is relevant in the way that it was six or seven years ago, but it has continued to sustain a career.