E! is reportedly considering a time delay for its red carpet television coverage due to the controversy surrounding Ryan Seacrest, according to Deadline. The “Live with Kelly and Ryan” host has been hit with allegations of sexual misconduct by a former employee, which he denies. He is hosting red carpet coverage Sunday for E! at the Academy Awards.
Sources told Deadline that E! is considering an unusually long time delay, up to 30 seconds, in order to avoid any awkward on-camera moments during Seacrest’s red carpet interviews.
“The plan being considered is to mainly ensure plenty of time to either cut to Giuliana or to pull the plug altogether unnoticed if an on-camera encounter with Ryan goes into tricky territory,” an insider told Deadline. Another source confirmed the potential “defensive scenario.”
An E! spokesperson did not confirm or deny the plan, and only said that content on E! often airs on a delay anyway.
“It’s business as usual,” an E! spokesperson said to Deadline. “As always, we tape multiple sources of content simultaneously to deliver the best possible show, and there are often brief delays between interviews.” However, delays are typically only about five seconds, while the reported planned pause would be much longer.
It’s unclear if any drama will unfold on the red carpet at the Oscars. Jennifer Lawrence said she does not know whether or not she’ll stop to talk to the host.
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