Smallscreen News

Brian Dunkleman's bid for TV do over, Seacrest be damned

By April MacIntyre Apr 16, 2010, 19:59 GMT

03/07/2010 - Ryan Seacrest - 2010 E! Oscar Viewing and After Party - Drai\'s - Hollywood, CA, USA © Chris Hatcher / PR Photos

On "American Idol," Ryan Seacrest served up a zinger at the expense of former co-host Brian Dunkleman, saying Dunkleman would be hosting the "American Idol Gives Back" Show.

If you remember, Dunkleman walked away as the co-host job of a lifetime after season one of AI because of his 'integrity' but ouch, cut to a few years later and his stage partner Seacrest is a mogul worth millions.

Dunkleman has a new scripted comedy, the 'American Dunkleman' show which is his ode to surviving and reinvention.

Brian Dunkleman spoke exclusively to TV.com yesterday, responding to Ryan Seacrest’s jokes about him during this week’s “American Idol” broadcast, stating that jokes “have never been [Seacrest’s] strong suit.”

Dunkleman also claims: “It’s not surprising that [Seacrest] would act crazy to get attention, or throw my name out there...he’s done things like this before.”

Excerpt:

TV.com: You’ve mentioned that you don't watch American Idol, but when Ryan Seacrest mentioned your name, you got a pretty warm response from the audience.

Brian Dunkleman: Yeah, that was very cool. People really came to my defense, which is a satisfying thing.

TV.com: Do you think Seacrest intended it as a slight?

BD: Yeah, I think so, sure—but it was a joke. Well, it was an attempt at a joke. But unfortunately for Ryan, instead of a laugh, he got applause. That’s never really been his strong suit. But it was a joke, and whether it was mean-spirited or not is irrelevant. A joke’s a joke; you can either take it or you can’t. And quite honestly, once you’ve had Jimmy Kimmel say in a monologue that you should be punched in the face, and at this point you’d probably be receptive to a knife in the gut, I think what Seacrest said was pretty tame.

TV.com: Ever since Simon Cowell announced that he’s not coming back this year, Seacrest has seemed a little rambunctious.

BD: That’s why the timing doesn’t surprise me. Dancing with the Stars has replaced Idol as the number one show for, what, the last two weeks? I’m sure that’s sending Seacrest into a panic. It’s not surprising that he would act crazy to get attention, or throw my name out there—he’s done things like this before.