Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest admits he's afraid of commitment.

The 'American Idol' host, who split from his last long-term girlfriend Julianne Hough last year after three years, and was then briefly linked to models Dominique Piek and Shayna Terese Taylor, recently got a new Labrador puppy, named Georgia, and hopes it will stop his mother putting pressure on him to settle down and have children.

Ryan was initially worried about whether he would have enough time for a pet due to his busy schedule.

He said: "Georgia is going to come to work with me sometimes. This is a major step for me. This is why I worry about commitment. Now you know why I fear it."

The 39-year-old star also told 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' on Wednesday (30.04.14) that getting his own dog is definitely a sign that he is maturing.

He said: "I had dogs in relationships, and then they end and the dogs would go. This is my first dog. My very own dog.

"I'm from the state of Georgia. I had the name before I had the dog. So I came up with a name, and I got so excited about the name that I figured, 'Okay, I have to follow through with the deadline and getting the dog.' "

He added: "This is all happening at the right time. I'm turning 40 in a few months. [Now] I've got the dog. I think my mother's expecting grandkids soon, so I'll name the grandkids, then find the wife."