Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora Talk New Year’s Eve, ‘Cheap Thermals’ and 2024 Fashion Goals
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Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora are ready to party with an estimated 1 million people in Times Square on Sunday, according to the city of New York, plus other millions of viewers at home. The duo will cohost “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024,” which will air live on ABC.
“It’s just such an iconic show and, for so many of us, it’s almost like it doesn’t feel real,” Ora told WWD during a press brunch on Friday. “When you’re watching it on TV, and you see all the incredible stars and Ryan, and all the interviews, you’re thinking, ‘wow, what a magic environment to be a part of.’ So that’s why I’m so excited to be a part of this. It’s a dream for me.”
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Hosting the leading New Year’s Eve television special for almost two decades, Seacrest said Ora is being “spoiled” by the weather on her debut appearance — Seacrest has faced temperatures as low as 18 degrees while on the show since 2005. “It’s not going to be that rainy. It’s not going to be that cold. It’s not gonna be thunder, lightning, none of that stuff. So she’s actually going to have it quite easy,” he said. “I may have made a phone call,” Ora laughed.
To face the low temperatures for an average of six hours outside, Seacrest developed some hacks. The main one is to wear a “really cheap pair of thermal underwear.” “I cut the neck like so there’s a bigger hole in my chest. It looks like a bad dancer. And I put that under my button-up shirt and tuxedo ties so that I feel warm, but you can see that neckline. It’s arts and crafts,” he explained.
The TV host will wear a black velvet double-breast tuxedo by Brunello Cucinelli this year, according to his stylist Miles Siggins. “We do love a classic tux look with a bow tie, so when weather permits we like to show that off,” Siggins said.
Ora’s outfit, meanwhile, will be all about her coats. “It doesn’t matter what goes on underneath because you got to wear a jacket. So I think it will probably be thermals underneath and then cool coats, really cool coats,” she said.
The British pop singer, who released a multiseason fashion collaboration with Primark in 2023 and made headlines with her prosthetic spikes at the Fashion Awards on Dec. 4, is looking forward to seeing a more diverse fashion environment in 2024. “I’d love to see clothes just being there for all types of people. No matter your size, no matter anything. I just want to see a variety of sizes. I think that’s very important,” she said.
Seacrest is trying to get rid of a ripped pair of jeans before 2023 ends. “I have jeans with holes in them. And I’ve put my leg through the knee hole so many times that I need to get rid of those,” he said. “And I’m gonna simplify in 2024. I’m simplifying and I’m editing. You’re gonna see me look the same a lot.”
As for other New Year’s resolutions, Ora wants to be “more present” and “just do things that make me happy.” Seacrest wants to say more “no,” but he is also excited to “spin that wheel” on “Wheel of Fortune” — he is set to take the game show baton from Pat Sajak in September.
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2024” will feature performances by NewJeans in South Korea, Post Malone in Las Vegas and Ivy Queen in Puerto Rico. Jeannie Mai will cohost the show from Los Angeles. Aqua, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, Bebe Rexha, Nile Rodgers & Chic and Reneé Rapp are also set to appear.
Penske Media Eldridge acquired Dick Clark Productions in January, marking a major expansion into event programming for Penske Media Corp., the parent company of WWD, Variety, Rolling Stone, ArtNews and several other brands. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” will air Sunday live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
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