Ryan left college in 1993 and got his first official hosting gig — and then his second, third, and fourth shortly thereafter. He started out hosting the first season of ESPN’s Radical Outdoor Challenge, then hosted three kids’ game shows between 1994 and 1997: Gladiators 2000, Wild Animal Games, and Click. 

In 2000, he became the host of NBC Saturday Night Movie, then he hosted a prank show called Ultimate Revenge in 2001. That brings us to 2002, when Ryan (along with comedian Brian Dunkleman) became a host of American Idol. As the singing competition show rocketed to the top of the ratings, Ryan’s career also enjoyed a meteoric rise.