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He Didn’t Ask the Single Question

Feb 16, 2004  •  Post A Comment

As advertised, Ryan Seacrest last week scored the first interview with Britney Spears since her brief marriage and annulment in Las Vegas. They talked, he made jokes, she sang. But if you tuned in to “On-Air With Ryan Seacrest” to hear the rookie talk show host ask about her quickie nuptials, fuggedaboudit. He never asked. Maybe that made it less annoying to “Entertainment Tonight,” “Access Hollywood,” “Extra” and “E! News Live.” They had all been invited to cover, but then were uninvited days before the live show after Ms. Spears nixed the presence of news cameras. According to show execs, she threatened to cancel if any journalists showed up. What song did she sing? A new one, aptly named “Toxic.” The episode did earn Mr. Seacrest’s fledgling talker a 1.9 Nielsen rating, its best numbers to date.