The following article includes allegations of sexual harassment.

Any TV fan would be hard-pressed to find a contemporary TV presenter as easily recognizable as Ryan Seacrest. From hosting "American Idol," "Live with Kelly and Ryan," and "Wheel of Fortune" to presenting the country's most-watched New Year's Eve program and interviewing celebs on the red carpets, he's everywhere we look. Seacrest might make his job look effortless, but his journey to the top was anything but.

A victim of bullying over his weight as a kid, he grew up with shaky confidence. The taunting during Seacrest's childhood kept him from enjoying some kid-favorite activities and events, like swimming and spring break. During that time, Seacrest also developed eating habits that put him in a vicious cycle. To stop the teasing, he started to focus on his health, a passion he carried into adulthood. But to some close to him, his preoccupation with nutrition and fitness may still reflect some of his old insecurities.

And he poured the same dedication into his career -- if not more. In 2020, Seacrest suffered an on-air health scare that he attributed to exhaustion and stress. The experience led him to reevaluate his priorities and to take a step back to focus on his personal life. While his workaholic tendencies led to great professional success, Seacrest had his reputation questioned when a former coworker accused him of sexual misconduct. There is no denying that Seacrest achieved quite a lot, but he also struggled quite a bit to get to where he is.