Ryan Seacrest isn’t happy with how much money he’s being offered to host the new “American Idol” on ABC — and it is Katy Perry’s fault.
Seacrest, who hosted the show on Fox for 15 seasons, was set to emcee the reboot until Perry — said to be getting $25 million as an “Idol” judge — bragged last week on 103.5 KTU: “I’m really proud that, as a woman, I got paid. And you know why? I got paid, like, more than like pretty much any guy that’s been on that show.”
Sources say ABC initially offered Seacrest over $10 million.
“[He] was suddenly asking himself why he would come back for a 16th season at a salary [much smaller than that] of the newcomer judge,” Richard Rushfield, author of “American Idol: The Untold Story,” wrote in his email newsletter, the Ankler.
Since Seacrest is already employed in New York at “Live With Kelly & Ryan,” and “Idol” would require weekly cross-country trips to LA, he “has grown notably cooler on the prospect,” Rushfield reported.
An ABC spokesman told me: “We don’t comment on negotiations or salary.”
“Ryan isn’t pleased with the protracted negotiations,” a source familiar with the talks said. “But he is hopeful that a deal can be reached given his affection for the show.”
A network insider said, “Perry is not getting $25 million.”