American Idol host Ryan Seacrest has purchased the former Beverly Hills, Calif. home of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her partner, Portia de Rossi, for close to the asking price of $49 million.

In addition to the 9,200 square foot main house, there are three guest houses and two pools sitting on a total of 2.87 acres where Ryan, 37, can relax when he’s not busy working one of his many jobs.

When Ellen purchased the house for $29 million, she too, bought it from a famous name. Who?

The hilarious 54-year-old comedienne turned talk show host, who is being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor later this year, purchased the home from Max Mutchnick, who co-created the Emmy-award winning sitcom, Will & Grace.

However, the reason it is much more expensive now that Seacrest is purchasing, is because Ellen and Portia bought the adjacent homes to expand the property.

Who knows, maybe this means he’s ready to settle down with girlfriend of two years, 23-year-old Rock of Ages star Julianne Hough?

julianne & ryan vacation in st. barths

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Also, if you remember, we also recently got a look inside Ryan’s Hollywood Hills home, which he listed in order to purchase his brand-new digs. You have to admit, he has great taste!

ryan's $11.9 million hollywood hills home

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To get a full look at Ryan’s gorgeous Beverly Hills estate, click through the gallery!

He dramatically reached into his jacket pocket, with Hough saying, “Oh god,” probably believing he was about to get down on one knee. But the move was just a ruse.

Watch the video above to see what went down next.

Seacrest, 37, continued, “Give this note I wrote to Tom Cruise? I am such a big fan. I loved him in ‘Cocktail.’” (Cruise is her co-star in Rock of Ages, playing Stacee Jaxx.)

Hough, who has been dating the American Idol host since 2010, appeared taken aback by the joke. Ouch!

Was Seacrest out of line with this prank? Sound off in the comments.

Julianne Hough Bikinis in St. Bart's With Ryan Seacrest

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Both Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder and True Blood actor Alexander Skarsgard have expressed interest in playing the lead male role of Christian Grey.

For those of you living under a rock, the novel follows a 21-year-old college student, Anastasia Steele, who starts a relationship with a sexy entrepreneur, Christian Grey, who leads her into the world of S&M.

Hollywood is buzzing about the book (and upcoming film), so click through the gallery to see which stars are obsessed with the sexy, erotic novel.

'Fifty Shades of Grey' Dream Casting

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American Idol host Ryan Seacrest admits he is smitten with James’ sexy book. On his radio show, he revealed,

“I’m obsessed. I’m past the bathtub scene, so I’m making progress. It’s fascinating to see something like that capture the zeitgeist and also it’s really interesting to read. … And I’m using it as a manual. I think it can be a study book for a lot of people.”

Meanwhile, Skarsgard, 35, put his name in the ring for the part of the sexual exhibitionist, telling Access Hollywood:

“Where do I sign? … He’s got a sex chamber? My character has that on True Blood. He’s got his little dungeon. … I was born to play that part.”

Who has your vote to play Grey? Let us know in the poll below, and then check out Celebuzz’s dream casting call for Fifty.

The 37-year-old American Idol host reportedly re-listed his home for a bargain price (well, in Hollywood’s standards) of $11.9 million. Previously, the swanky pad was on sale for $14.95 million but found no buyers.

What’s included with the newly reduced price tag?

Built in 1974, the 10,000 square-foot Mediterranean villa boasts six bedrooms and six and a half baths with space for a bar, a screening room, a massive wine cellar, and a gym. A guesthouse, tennis court, and swimming pool with cabana are also on the premise, which is safely guarded behind wrought-iron gates on nearly an acre with canyon and city views.

The home, once belonging to Kevin Costner and wife Christine Baumgartner, has undergone a total renovation since Seacrest purchased it for $11.5 million in 2006.

Recently, Seacrest opened the doors to his Jeff Andrews-styled home for Architectural Digest. Take a peek inside the TV presenter’s mansion then, in the comments, tell us if you think his re-listed estate is a steal.

“For the last 11 seasons, I’ve had the privilege to be a part of one of television’s most iconic shows. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m excited for my journey with American Idol to continue,” Seacrest, 37, said in a statement.

Continued Ryan:

The legions of fans, amazingly talented contestants, judges, and producers, along with the hard working IDOL crew, impress me every time we go on air and make hosting the show a dream job. I especially appreciate the support and confidence of Peter Rice, Mike Darnell and the entire FOX team – as well as the support of everyone at FremantleMedia North America – and I look forward to continuing our partnership.

seacrest through the years

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Are you all excited Ryan will still be the face of Idol? 

On Wednesday, it was announced that Seacrest would be joining the NBC family, starting off as a correspondent for the London summer Olympics, and we can’t help but think about how far he has come since showing up on the entertainment scene 10 years ago. Back in 2002, we first came to know Ryan as the co-host of the brand new singing competition, American Idol,  but for the show’s second season, he came back solo, and his rise to fame has yet to slow down ever since.

From his popular KIIS FM radio show, to movie cameos and even hosting the legendary Dick Clark‘s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Celebuzz thought we’d take a look back at just exactly how the 37-year-old came to rule Hollywood.

In early 2004, Ryan started hosting syndicated radio show American Top 40 countdown.  He then quickly took over the morning show for the LA based KIIS FM, with the aptly titled, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, which remains on air today. From A-listers such as Justin Bieber, Victoria Beckham and everyone in between, the list of people Ryan hasn’t interviewed is probably much shorter. However, not everything he touches turns to gold, as his attempt at a syndicated talk show (with the same name as his radio show) was cancelled in late 2004 afte only nine months on the air.

'american idol' alums: where are they now?

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After his morning radio show proved to be successful, in 2006, he joined the E! family in a multi-million dollar deal where he not only would become the host of E! News and their various red carpet coverage for award shows, but helped developed shows such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians. (Mind you, Seacrest was doing all this while still hosting American Idol!) He even made an infamous cameo in 2007′s smash comedy Knocked Up where he played an exaggerated (and foul mouthed!) version of himself.

kardashian & Jenner gals bikini in the dominican republic!

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In 2008, he began hosting filling in for Dick Clark on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, where the name was even recently changed to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest, and he will continue to do the show until 2012.

Also, there were rumors in 2010 that he would take over for Larry King when his CNN show Larry King Live went off the air, but that job eventually went to Piers Morgan. In 2011, Ryan teamed up with iHeartRadio to produce one of the largest music festivals in history which took place in Las Vegas in September 2011 and boasted artists such as Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Jay-Z, to name a few. Making his second film appearance, Ryan starred (as himself!) in 2011′s ensemble rom-com New Year’s Eve.

lady gaga takes the stage at iheart radio music festival

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Wow! What a journey Ryan has had — we’re exhausted just from thinking about all the hats he wears! But most importantly, Ryan has managed to romance a few ladies along the way. Ryan dated Shana Wall a few years back, and was also attached to Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher at one point, but has been happily dating former Dancing With the Stars pro Julianne Hough since 2010.

julianne & ryan vacay in st. barths!

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What do you think about Ryan’s next move? Think he’ll fit in at NBC? Check out the gallery of Ryan through the years above, and then sound off in the comments!

The American Idol and E! News host skirted around the question a bit, but did admit that he will be joining the NBC family. When does he start? Ryan, 37, will be reporting from the London Olympics this year alongside Matt and the network’s other reporters.

Matt, 54, didn’t let the TV personality get off that easy, asking him again if he’s had discussions specifically about joining the TODAY show program. “I want names,” he joked Ryan squirmed a bit, answered back jokingly:

“Oh, they didn’t tell you? … They were mostly about filling in to do weather.” He continued, ”I don’t know. … I see you doing this for as long as you want to,” Ryan added that he expects Matt to be on TODAY for years to come, and then turned the question around asking him when he planned on leaving. Then it was Matt’s turn to play coy.

The two assured audiences that there is “no tension” between them and that they are “friendly” towards one another.  

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Less than a month after Sacha Baron Cohen dumped fake ashes on Ryan Seacrest at the Oscars, an unsuspecting Kim Kardashian was flour-bombed last night while promoting her new fragrance in West Hollywood.

Because of last night’s unfortunate event, we’re taking a look back at other celebrities who have been victims of public assaults – everything from more flour-bombing, to pies in the face to, yep, squirt guns.

Relive the awkward moments in our gallery now.

Kim Kardashian Flour Bombed in Los Angeles

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-03-23/when-celebrities-get-attacked-stars-who-have-been-assaulted-in-public-photos/feed/ 1 http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-02-27/ryan-seacrest-on-sasha-baron-cohen-prank-it-wasnt-planned/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-02-27/ryan-seacrest-on-sasha-baron-cohen-prank-it-wasnt-planned/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:14:42 +0000 Amber James http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=10034112
Ryan Seacrest had quite a messy pre-show at the 2012 Oscars when Sacha Baron Cohen (as Dictator alter-ego General Shabazz Aladeen) dumped an urn of Kim Jong Il’s “ashes” all over the E! News host’s Burberry tuxedo.  Ryan spoke out about the incident on his radio show, revealing he was not in on the joke....Read more»

]]> Ryan Seacrest had quite a messy pre-show at the 2012 Oscars when Sacha Baron Cohen (as Dictator alter-ego General Shabazz Aladeen) dumped an urn of Kim Jong Il’s “ashes” all over the E! News host’s Burberry tuxedo.  Ryan spoke out about the incident on his radio show, revealing he was not in on the joke.

“I definitely did not know that he was going to do that!” the host said during On Air With Ryan Seacrest. ”He comes over, and I asked him a couple of questions, but…You know that feeling in your gut. You feel like, ‘This is going too normally.’”

Sacha Baron Cohen Dresses as 'Dictator' at 2012 Oscars

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Ryan admits he knew the interview was taking a turn for the worst when he saw the urn coming at him. “It was getting closer to my chest, and then it tipped over, and it wasn’t the wind. He spilt it on my tuxedo,” he said.

Thankfully, his mom taught him one very valuable lesson: always bring two suit jackets to the red carpet. He tweeted:

“My mom always told me to pack two jackets for red carpets, always wondered why. Now I know.”

Watch Ryan’s interview with Sacha Baron Cohen.

In case you missed it, Celebuzz has put together some of the best moments from the Sunday night show. Check them out below and let us know what we missed. 

Two of the funniest men in Hollywood hit the stage all tuxed up in matching white suits. Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell pulled out the cymbals and played them as they took to the Oscar stage to present. Nominee Brad probably heard the cymbals more than others seeing as they banged the instrument in his face.

The Help actress Octavia Spencer made a tearful acceptance speech for Supporting Actress. Check out her emotional words.

One of the more controversial moments of the night was when Sacha Baron Cohen (in character as The Dictator) poured ashes all over E! host Ryan Seacrest in the pre-show.

Billy Crystal revived his movie spoofs while on hosting duties at the Oscars, with the help of Justin Bieber and George Clooney.

The circus also came to town at the Academy Awards, with Cirque du Soleil stealing the show practically with their astounding performance.

She is currently on a press tour to promote the second season of her show, Khloe and Lamar in New York City.  During her spare time between her TODAY show and LIVE! with Kelly appearances, the reality star called in to Ryan Seacrest‘s radio show 102.7 KIIS FM where she chatted with the Kardashian family friend, who asked her if she could confirm the reports that her sister Kim Kardashian had gone out on a lunch date with her old ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush.

“I don’t really know what happened, I think they were both at the same place at the same time. I don’t think they were on a date together,” Khloe said, setting the record straight.

Ryan joked about the coincidence factor of the two being at the same place at the same time, of which Khloe responded:

“I don’t understand. I heard there were paparazzi. How does the paparazzi get into the Polo Lounge (a restaurant at the Beverly Hills hotel)?”

Ryan then confirmed that the pictures did not seem to be from paparazzi but reports from onlookers.  Khloe then added, “Well I love the Bush and the tush. I loved them. Seriously, that was like iconic for me. I loved them.” 

Do you believe the romance rumors? Sound off in the comments, and be sure to check out the two-day season premiere of Khloe and Lamar airs Sunday, Feb. 19 and Monday, Feb. 20 at 10PM on E! 

khloe & family attend mavs vs. lakers game

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With 2012 just around the corner, many celebs took it to Twitter to show off how they’re welcoming the new year. This week, Ryan Seacrest tweeted a pic of the famous New Year’s Eve ball in New York City, while Demi Lovato and Snooki both tested out new hairdos for 2012.

Check them out above in this year’s last installment of celebrity twitpics!

sexiest twitpics of 2011 

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How are you ringing in the new year? Sound off in the comments below!

The latest star that had us doing a double take was R&B beauty Rihanna! The international superstar’s statue was unveiled at Madame Tussaud’s London location over the weekend. RiRi’s look-a-like wore a skin tight black dress with a high slit and her signature red curls.

rihanna's latest wax figure

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Though “The Only Girl In The World” singer’s wax figure bares a striking resemblance to her, other stars aren’t as lucky! Some of our favorite stars doppelgangers are a bit on the wacky side!

justin bieber strikes a pose with his wax figure

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Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Seacrest and Zac Efron have all gotten the wacky wax treatment that leaves us scratching our heads and longing for the originals. Click on the gallery to see some of your favorite stars alongside their figures! Are they identical or little on the creepy side? Let us know in the comments!

The Idol host and budding entertainment mogul was honored by L.A’s Promise, an organization that aims to help support and fund the education, direction and health of one Los Angeles community. Seacrest even took time to let some of the kids involved in the program test out their journalism skills by doing an interview with him, as he tweeted:

“Just got interviewed by these pretty ladies at @LAsPromise.. bright kids :)”

ryan and julianne's romantic getaway

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Seacrest later gave a speech at the ceremony, and later everyone was treated to a private screening of Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS.

As for Hough, she’s about to become a big-time movie star once the remarkably fun remake of Footloose is released in October. Check out a trailer below!

There’s been a lot going on around Hollywood these days, as celebrities were tweeting everything from new tattoos to rehearsal photos. We’ve compiled the most popular pics spotted making rounds around the Twitter-sphere this week.

Which television stars documented their first meeting with a photo? Who had some one on one time with some very adorable smurfs? Click through the gallery to find out!

'glee' season 3 photos

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Which twitpic was your favorite this week? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Following several tweets, the multi-talented radio personality was joined by the two teens this morning on his show On-Air with Ryan Seacrest! Ryan first introduced Julian and asked him if he knew Justin would use Twitter to set the two up. The 16-year-old producer didn’t think Justin would, but he knew that “he would make it happen.”

kendall and kylie at Cheer camp

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Things got slightly awkward when Kendall joined in on the conversation as the two had never spoken before! But, things quickly took a turn for the better when Ryan shifted the subject to dating in the Jenner household. Kendall stated, “There is no real rule at least that I’ve heard of, but I mean I don’t think it’s that big of a deal anymore.”

The two made plans to go out, but Ryan wanted to know if they were going to be joined by another famous teen couple: Justin & Selena! Swirsky didn’t deny that there could be a double date in the future adding, “That’s definitely in discussion. I think that’s a possibility.”

Well with first dates like that, this blossoming relationship looks to be on the right track! Be sure to follow Celebuzz on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr for all your celebrity couples news and gossip!

kendall and kylie through the years

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-08-15/kendall-jenner-makes-date-plans-with-justin-biebers-pal-on-air/feed/ 17 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-20/ryan-seacrest-to-head-up-new-bravo-show/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-20/ryan-seacrest-to-head-up-new-bravo-show/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:30:29 +0000 Jackie Willis http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=8333881 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-20/ryan-seacrest-to-head-up-new-bravo-show/feed/ 0 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-18/julianne-hough-puckers-up-with-ryan-seacrest-in-miami-photos/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-18/julianne-hough-puckers-up-with-ryan-seacrest-in-miami-photos/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:43:57 +0000 Amber James http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=8308062 A fresh-faced and makeup-free Julianne Hough enjoyed a romantic weekend with her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest in Miami. The couple were seen puckering up by the pool. At one point, Julianne leaned her head back as the American Idol host bent down to pull his leading lady in for a sweet smooch. Aww! Julianne showed off...Read more»]]> A fresh-faced and makeup-free Julianne Hough enjoyed a romantic weekend with her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest in Miami. The couple were seen puckering up by the pool. At one point, Julianne leaned her head back as the American Idol host bent down to pull his leading lady in for a sweet smooch. Aww!

Julianne showed off her toned body, as she strutted around the pool wearing a polka dot blue bikini covered by a multi-colored top.

The petite blonde is currently filming Rock Of Ages with Tom Cruise, Malin Akerman and Russell Brand.

Julianne Hough & Diego Boneta Film 'Rock of Ages'

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Julianne tweeted about the progress of filming and said:

“Fun day of shooting #rockofagesmovie with @TomCruise @adammshankman today! Rehearsed “Hurricane” during lunch too and man does it rock!! :)”

Will you see Rock of Ages when it hits theaters? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to follow Celebuzz on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr for more celeb news and photos!

julianne's bikini day

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]]> http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-18/julianne-hough-puckers-up-with-ryan-seacrest-in-miami-photos/feed/ 2 http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-15/selena-gomez-ryan-seacrest-surprise-kids-at-philly-childrens-hospital-photos/ http://www.celebuzz.com/2011-07-15/selena-gomez-ryan-seacrest-surprise-kids-at-philly-childrens-hospital-photos/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:31:32 +0000 Amber James http://www.celebuzz.com/?p=8298021
The kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia got quite a surprise when American Idol host Ryan Seacrest brought along a special guest for his visit: Selena Gomez! While there, Selena played with the kids and greeted some of her youngest fans. After the visit, Ryan sent out a special thank you to Selena via...Read more»

]]> The kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia got quite a surprise when American Idol host Ryan Seacrest brought along a special guest for his visit: Selena Gomez! While there, Selena played with the kids and greeted some of her youngest fans.

After the visit, Ryan sent out a special thank you to Selena via Twitter:

“The smiles that @SelenaGomez brought to kids’ faces at @RyanFoundation… unforgettable. #thankyou.”

The visit was part of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation‘s first initiative is to build broadcast media centers within pediatric hospitals for children to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media. Today marked the launch of the latest center, The Voice, at the Philly hospital.

For more information about Ryan’s foundation, check out http://www.ryanseacrestfoundation.org/.