Ryan Seacrest Appearances That Sent Plastic Surgery Rumors Into Overdrive

Over the years, Ryan Seacrest has been omnipresent on television screens, so when the shape of his face began to appear altered, fans took notice. A clip of him hosting "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" went viral in October 2025, as his face looked completely different from his "American Idol" heyday. This led to plenty of speculation that the TV personality had some work done. Around that time, Dr. Khaled of Alta Medispa posted an Instagram video investigating whether Seacrest's face transformation was due to plastic surgery. Khaled looked at older pics of Seacrest and noted there was significant "volume loss" in his cheek region. "He may have added fillers, cheek implants, or even facial fat transfer or fat grafting," Khaled said. He believed that Seacrest may have gone to extreme lengths to highlight his cheeks using "two to four syringes [of filler] on either side."

A few months later, Nicki Swift consulted a plastic surgeon about what happened to Ryan Seacrest's face. Dr. Brandon Richland compared older snaps of the ABC personality to ones taken in 2025 and noted a clear change. "We are looking at the clinical intersection of volume management, soft tissue laxity, cosmetic treatments and lifestyle driven atrophy," Richland told us in January 2026.

Of course, experts weren't the only ones who weighed in on how drastically Seacrest's face had changed. In November 2025, he uploaded an Instagram selfie while drinking his morning brew. It was a rare occasion when Seacrest sported glasses, but people still noticed his enhanced lashes (more on that later), and how different he looked, with one fan calling him "unrecognizable." There have been multiple other occasions when Seacrest looked so different that people were convinced it was the result of having work done to his face.

To promote the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve Party, Ryan Seacrest posted a reel to Instagram that showed him lip-syncing a classic clip of a young Kendall Jenner announcing her New Year's resolution. For the vid, the "American Idol" host wore a cobalt blue jacket over a blue shirt, but it wasn't his outfit that stood out; it was his face. More specifically, Seacrest's cheekbones jutted out as if he had implants. His chin also looked unusually sharp. His face's craggy appearance had people taking to the comment section to express concern. "Is this really Ryan seacrest? If so is he ok" one follower asked.

The plastic surgery chatter continued when Ryan Seacrest looked a little tuned up on an October 2025 episode of "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune." In a video clip posted on the show's Instagram page, Seacrest's cheeks were protruding so much that it looked like the skin on his face was being yanked back. Obviously, he was wearing TV makeup, but the seasoned host had been on people's TV sets for years and never had that type of look. Not only were his cheekbones jutting out, but his cheeks looked sunken in, giving him a gaunt appearance with exaggerated features. This led to fans popping up in the comment section to share their theories as to why Seacrest looked so different. "I think he might have had work done on his face," one wrote. "Botched facial reconstruction," another added.

Just days before his New Year's Rockin' Eve special in December 2025, Ryan Seacrest stopped by "Good Morning America" to let viewers know what they could expect from the countdown show. Seacrest looked stylish in a brown turtleneck and sleek tan leather jacket, but his face's angular look raised some eyebrows. The TV host's chin stuck out in a fashion that hinted it was more than simple weight loss that accentuated the definition, and certain angles made his cheeks look strikingly chiseled. "GMA" uploaded the interview to YouTube, where multiple viewers thought his changing appearance was due to Seacrest's aging "Ozempic face."

When Ryan Seacrest helmed the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special in December 2023, many fans who tuned into the ABC program were surprised at what they saw. Seacrest braved the elements in a black tuxedo with matching leather gloves. Unsurprisingly, he looked dapper for the occasion, but his face caused online chatter. At that time, the New Year's Eve countdown host looked fine when he was his usual animated self while talking into the microphone. It was when he remained motionless that it became apparent the shape of his face had shifted. His cheeks looked like they had possibly been enhanced by either implants or fillers, and the area surrounding his mouth seemed sunken. "Ryan Seacrest needs to slow down on plastic surgery...his face is very uncanny valley," one X user wrote of his appearance (via The U.S. Sun).

The countdown to 2021 brought a unique experience for the New Year's celebration as it took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan Seacrest still had hosting duties, but part of the telecast featured his face covered with a mask. When viewers were given a glimpse of his facial features, many noted that he appeared to have gone under the knife to make some drastic changes. "Uh what happened to Ryan Seacrest's face I didn't recognize him," one fan wrote on X during the telecast. "He looks totally different! Plastic surgery?!" another replied.

To celebrate National Pizza Day in February 2025, Ryan Seacrest surprised fans by uploading an Instagram photo of himself chowing down on a pizza slice during a break from filming "American Idol." He raised a slice of pepperoni to his lips and appeared to take a nibble for the camera. The angle of the snap and the biting down motion caused his upper cheekbones to jut out to such a degree, it almost appeared as if they would puncture the skin. Followers popped up in the comment section to note how thin the veteran TV host looked, and many were unconvinced that he actually finished a piece of a pizza. Others noted how defined his face looked. "Your skeletal cheek bone is very visible," one commented.

Discussions about Ryan Seacrest's cosmetic procedures have not been limited to the sculpted look of his cheekbones and chin. In January 2026, Seacrest posted an Instagram selfie on the set of "American Idol" as he flashed a giant grin for the camera. The angle masked his ever-protruding cheeks and highlighted his bright smile, but it also gave a perfect view of his eyelashes. His lashes looked so fluttery and long that a throng of fans felt compelled to comment that they appeared to have been embellished by more than makeup. "Nice lash lift," one wrote along with hand clap emoji to show their approval. "Let's not call attention to one's enhancements...that's superficial," a defending fan replied.