RYAN Seacrest says his “New Years’ Rockin’ Eve” co-host Dick Clark won’t be in a wheelchair Saturday night.
It will be the first time America sees Clark, 76, since he suffered a stroke last December.
“I’m not a doctor and I’m not his wife so I don’t see him on a daily basis, but he will not be in a wheelchair on the telecast,” Seacrest told AP Radio.
Clark missed last year’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” show after the stroke – which was described at the time as “minor” – and was replaced by Regis Philbin (who’s hosting Fox’s New Year’s Eve telecast).
But the “American Bandstand” legend vowed to return to Time’s Square for this year’s telecast and will, indeed, be here with Seacrest tomorrow night.
ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” kicks off at 10 p.m. tomorrow and then breaks from 11 p.m. to 11:30 for local news.
Clark is scheduled to appear on-camera around 11:35 p.m. and will be seen through the telecast, which runs until 1:05 a.m., said an ABC spokeswoman.
Clark arrived in New York yesterday, according to his spokesman.
Seacrest, who’s in line to inherit the hosting job from Clark, also said that Clark “has gotten better and better each day. I don’t think he is a hundred percent but I think he’s better than he was last week . . . ”
Since the stroke, Clark hasn’t been seen in public, save for one photograph published in yesterday’s Post. In the photo, he was using a walker and his normally black hair was grey.
But Seacrest says it’s still the same old Clark – including his familiar voice.
“It’s not exactly as it probably sounded when he was his healthiest and before the stroke, but it definitely sounds like Dick,” he said of Clark’s voice.