Ryan Seacrest wished his late father Gary Lee Seacrest a “Merry Heavenly Christmas” during his first holiday after his death.
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Ryan Seacrest is remembering his dad Gary Lee Seacrest.
The American Idol host—who shared that his father died after a yearslong battle with prostate cancer in October—opened up about how he spent his first Christmas without him.
“First Christmas without Dad, but holding him close in all the ways we can,” he captioned the Dec. 25 Instagram post. “We miss you. Merry Heavenly Christmas.”
In one photo, Ryan can be seen wearing matching pajamas with his loved ones as they lounge around an expertly decorated Christmas tree. In another, the 51-year-old shared a glimpse into his family’s holiday dinner—including an after-snap of his plate on the dining room table. And sprinkled throughout, Ryan can be spotted sporting festive Christmas tree glasses as he supports his loved ones in the kitchen.
His heartbreaking post came just one day after commemorating another milestone without his father—his birthday. Indeed, the Wheel of Fortune host—whose birthday is Dec. 24—celebrated his birthday just one day prior with his long-standing family tradition of eating fondue.
“A very cheesy way to celebrate,” he captioned the Dec. 24 Instagram video. “Thank you for all the birthday wishes!”
Ryan Seacrest Shares Dad Gary Lee Seacrest Died
Recently, Ryan reflected on his last moments with Gary before his death, as well as the final conversation he, his mother Constance Marie Zullinger, his sister Meredith Seacrest and her husband Jimmy Leach shared with his late father.
“It’s so vivid in my mind,” Ryan said during the Oct. 31 episode of his podcast On Air with Ryan Seacrest. “He said without much strength or energy that he loved us and that he was going to miss us. He looked over at me—and the power in the contact—he said, ‘Take care of your mom.’”
Ryan Seacrest/Instagram
Ryan Seacrest marks first Christmas without his father with an emotional Instagram tribute
Ryan Seacrest honors his late father, Gary Lee Seacrest, with an emotional Instagram tribute as he spends his first Christmas without him.
posted by Rakshanda Noor Khan
Thursday 12/25/2025 at 11:40PM EST
- TOPICS: Ryan Seacrest, CBS, NBC, Wheel of Fortune , Wheel of Fortune season 43
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