Ryan Seacrest named new host of “Wheel Of Fortune”
Takes over from retiring Pat Sajak in fall 2024
In news talked about for weeks, Ryan Seacrest will succeed Pat Sajak as host of Wheel Of Fortune beginning next fall.
On June 12, Sajak announced he was retiring from Wheel after the 2023-24 season. Wheel and sister show Jeopardy! was renewed thru 2028 by the ABC-owned stations as both shows continue to rank near the top of Nielsen’s syndicated shows chart. Seacrest will also serve as consulting producer.
Seacrest has had game show experience before – his first hosting gig was a kids spinoff of American Gladiators called Gladiators 2000 from 1994-96 and another syndicated kids show called Click from 1997-99, created by Merv Griffin.
“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 said in a statement posted on Instagram. “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.”
Seacrest’s new role as host gives him a more prominent presence on ABC. Seacrest hosts the network’s American Idol and the yearly Dick Clark’ Rockin’ New Years Eve with Ryan Seacrest, and he previously co-hosted the daily Kelly Ripa on Live With Kelly and Ryan, departing the show earlier this year as his role was assumed by Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos. Wheel airs in syndication on seven ABC-owned stations including ABC 7 in Chicago and in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Wheel also airs on a large number of ABC affiliates, including Washington D.C., Seattle, Miami, Sacramento, Hartford, Nashville, and Portland, Ore.
Seacrest also said in his statement: “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,”
That is, if Vanna sticks around. According to sources, White has retained an attorney and is currently in negotiations to continue in her role as “letter-turner” on Wheel. She is seeking a huge increase in salary after it was revealed she made five times less than Sajak did. There’s also a possibility producer Sony could eliminate her position to save money. White has been on Wheel since 1982.
Seacrest is also employed by iHeartMedia as he hosts morning drive on KIIS-FM Los Angeles and the syndicated radio shows On Air With Ryan Seacrest and the weekly American Top 40. He’ll continue in those roles.
The decision to hire Seacrest right away was mainly due to Sony not wanting to repeat the fiasco it had when they basically had on-air auditions to succeed the late Alex Trebek only for the executive producer of the show to name himself host. He was forced out from both positions shortly thereafter after it was discovered he made lewd comments on a podcast.
Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are produced by Sony Pictures Television and distributed worldwide by CBS Media Ventures.