Ryan Seacrest has sparked a conversation about the value of engagement rings and made it clear that when his time comes, he wants to spend the money on experiences rather than jewelry.
The American Idol host, 51, raised the topic on the April 7 episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrestquestions whether the traditional engagement ring still makes sense in the modern world.
“A lot of couples say, ‘Hey, is the engagement ring really worth it?’ What is the average price? $10,000?” he said.
“Average engagement ring price in the US, $10,000. Think what you could do with your partner for $10,000.”
Co-host Sisanie Villaclara added historical context, pointing out that engagement rings were once just plain bands rather than the elaborate stones that have become the norm.
Seacrest was clearly convinced by the practical argument and applied it directly to his own future plans.
“When I meet my human, and that’s the time, we’re going to have experiences together,” he said.
“We want to focus on building our bond. Doing things together. Going on adventures together. That’s what we want to think about. We’re not thinking about jewelry. We’re thinking about adventure and building something together, and that should be a priority.”
Seacrest split from girlfriend Aubrey Paige in 2024 and has had previous relationships with Julianne Hough and Shayna Taylor.
Marriage has always been something he has wanted, but approached carefully.
In a 2017 appearance at Staying with Kelly and Ryanhe admitted that he had come close to proposing once but held back.
“It was the right move, but I love the idea [of marriage],” he said at the time, adding with characteristic self-awareness, “I have this thing that I don’t want to screw up, and a lot of times they get screwed up. I figure the longer I wait, the older I get, the closer I am to death — so I can get it in and not screw it up.”
