'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve': Ryan Seacrest braces for BTS mania to wash over Times Square
Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale are coming together for the first time ever to co-host ABC's 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest', which airs on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, live at 8 pm ET.
The highlight of this year's celebration is South Korean boyband BTS. The boys will be taking over the stage shortly after 10.30 pm.
The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' executive producer noted that "We don't even know what to expect in Times Square with all the people because when they show up, all of their fans show up, so half of Times Square could be BTS fans."
ABC had previously announced that the night will also see the presence of 'Pose' star Billy Porter, who will be based in New Orleans, and singer Ciara, who will continue to emcee the Hollywood party broadcast in Los Angeles.
Seacrest and Lucy will also be joined by TV star Jessie James Decker, who will be unveiling the lucky name of the person who wins the Powerball Millionaire of the Year.
Other performances on the West Coast include Kelsea Ballerini, Blanco Brown, Dan + Shay, Dua Lipa, Ava Max, Megan Thee Stallion, Anthony Ramos, SHAED and Salt-N-Pepa.
Sheryl Crow and Usher will be presented by Porter and The Jonas Brothers will give a special performance from Miami.
The year 2019 marks the 48th anniversary of the annual celebration and the lineup includes performers like Alanis Morrisette with the Broadway show 'Jagged Little Pill', country music star Sam Hunt and Post Malone (he appeared on the show last year with a performance from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn).
It was in 1974 that Dick Clark began hosting the New Year's Rocking Eve broadcasts in 1974 and did so till 2004 when he got a stroke that affected his ability to speak.
Ryan Seacrest took over the program until he eventually entirely took over the Times Square-based program when Clark died in April 2012 at the age of 82.
'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest' will air on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, live at 8 pm ET, and go on till way past midnight upto 2.13 am.