Sony Pictures Television officially announced that Ryan Seacrest will be assuming the role of the new host for the iconic game show “Wheel of Fortune” starting in 2024. Seacrest has signed a multi-year agreement with the show and will also serve as a consulting producer, as mentioned in the release.
Expressing his gratitude and excitement, Seacrest stated, “I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
Seacrest went on to praise Sajak’s hosting style, saying, “Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition. Many people probably don’t know this, but one of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merv Griffin 25 years ago, so this is truly a full-circle moment for me, and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity. I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
Pat Sajak, who has been the host of “Wheel of Fortune” for several decades, announced his retirement on June 12, revealing that the upcoming 41st season, commencing in September, will be his last. Serving as the host alongside co-host Vanna White, Sajak and White hold the distinction of being two of the longest-serving hosts in the history of game shows.
Ryan Seacrest, like Sajak, boasts an impressive career as a television and radio host. He has been the host of ABC’s “American Idol” for 21 seasons and co-hosted the ABC News morning program “Live with Kelly and Ryan” alongside Kelly Ripa. Seacrest has earned multiple Emmy nominations and two wins for his exceptional work. He is also the host and producer of Los Angeles’s top-rated morning radio show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM and has been the host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” since 2005.
Following Sajak’s announcement of his retirement, Seacrest has been widely speculated as the top candidate to take over the hosting role on “Wheel of Fortune.” Sajak assumed the position after Chuck Woolery departed the series in 1981 and continued as the host when “Wheel of Fortune” became syndicated in 1983. Throughout the years, Sajak has hosted various spinoff shows, including the recent “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.” The popular game show first premiered in 1975.
Sajak received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement award in 2011 and has earned three additional Daytime Emmys for his exceptional work on “Wheel of Fortune.” The show follows a format similar to “Hangman,” where contestants spin a wheel to earn money by solving word puzzles. It has remained a primetime TV staple and airs alongside another beloved game show, “Jeopardy!”