Ryan Seacrest takes the reigns from Dick Clark for this year’s New Year’s Bash

For the first time in 40 years Dick Clark will not be hosting the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and his former co-host and successor Ryan Seacrest is feeling the loss. Seacrest sat down with Good Morning America to talk about a loss that was felt around the nation this year.

“Surreal is probably the most appropriate word,” Seacrest explained. “You think back 40 years ago he started the tradition…I not only watched him, I used to watch him and study how he hosted these shows.” In honor of his late co-host, Seacrest and the rest of the Rockin’ Eve crew will pay tribute to Dick Clark during tonight’s broadcast. “He was kind of like my guidance counselor. He’d always make you feel like you were his good friend,” Seacrest said in regards to Clark. “He was like that in person as well.”