Viewers will witness the end of an era in reality TV next year when Keeping Up with the Kardashians airs its 20th and final season. The announcement came as a surprise to many fans, who likely thought the headline-grabbing family would remain on their screens for years to come. The series’ end will mark a new chapter in the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family, but it will also be a major change for executive producer and longtime family friend, Ryan Seacrest. The entertainment mogul previously reflected on the show’s legacy following the news, but he’s now taken the time to discuss the moment he first learned about it.
Seacrest recalls that he spoke with family matriarch Kris Jenner over a weekend and, during said chat, she explained the family’s decision. While he was initially surprised by what he heard, he told THR that he could understand they choice they made:
Kris [Jenner] and I spoke over the weekend that the decision was being made, and she had told me how difficult it was for them to come to the conclusion that something that was so magical for their family and for their brand and their businesses was probably ready for its last chapter, as least as it stood on E!. I understood it — it is a lot to ask to have cameras in your lives for 13 years. I think they knew what they were getting into, but then again, who could have imagined what it would become? I knew that day was going to come at some point, and I really believe it was a tough decision that they went back and forth about, and then I think over a Saturday night they came to the conclusion that this was the right time, being the 20th season.
Having worked with them for so long, Ryan Seacrest would know the Kardashian-Jenner family better than almost anyone. He’s seen them through some highs and lows over the years, so it’s understandable that he would be able to sympathize with their choice.
That doesn’t mean Seacrest won’t be one of the many fans who will miss the show when it finishes its run. Even Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, a self-professed superfan, is already mourning the show’s impending conclusion.
Kris Jenner previously revealed that she and her family were considering signing up for additional seasons before putting things into perspective and deciding to end the show. On a separate occasion, she’s also explained that the rise of social media was a contributing factor in the show’s end. Now that platforms like Twitter and Instagram have become so interactive, fans can now follow along with the family’s exploits in real time, making it difficult for the show to (ironically) keep up.
It may be bittersweet for fans to see Keeping Up with the Kardashians go, but they still have a new season to look forward to, plenty of episodes to revisit and social media accounts they can follow. So all in all, they’ll still have plenty of Kardashian content at their fingertips.
New episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on E!.
