Ryan Seacrest

Although comparing this pretty-boy host to the iconic Dick Clark might be dubbed blasphemous in some circles, for those who came of age watching American Idol, Seacrest holds a similar pop-culture position as the longtime American Bandstand host. The Georgia native began his career at age 16 as an intern at WSTR/Star 94 in Atlanta. A natural on the air, he was soon hosting the nighttime slot. He continued his radio career in Los Angeles and began adding on-camera gigs to his résumé, hosting low-profile shows like Gladiators 2000 and Click before American Idol elevated him from the ranks of unknown peppy personalities. Although he initially appeared opposite now-forgotten Brian Dunkleman on the wildly popular Fox reality competition, by Season 2 he was the sole host, engaging in bitchy banter with judge Simon Cowell, offering contestants a friendly shoulder to cry on, and alternately charming or sickening viewers with his impossibly white smile, affable attitude and smooth product pitches. In 2005, he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he cohosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve alongside the ailing legend. He also became a producer of the show and was named as Clark's eventual successor. In 2006, the multitasking media man signed on to E! Entertainment Television as an anchor, delivering news and interviewing celebrities on the red carpet. He also became a full-fledged famous person himself when the media developed an avid interest in his personal life. Since he and Cowell routinely teased each other about their ambiguous sexual orientations, when Seacrest went out on a date with Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher, their kiss made the gossip rags, even though nothing ever came of their relationship.