In an announcement that marks a new era for one of America’s most popular game shows, Ryan Seacrest confirmed on Tuesday that he will assume the hosting duties for “Wheel of Fortune.” This follows the retirement of Pat Sajak, who is ending his notable four-decade stint on the daily syndicated U.S. game show in 2024.
Expressing his sentiments on the transition, Seacrest took to Instagram and Twitter to share, “I’m genuinely humbled to be stepping into the shoes of the legendary Pat Sajak.” In his posts, Seacrest, known for his long-running hosting gig on “American Idol,” paid tribute to Sajak and longtime co-host Vanna White. He further expressed his excitement about “spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
The studio responsible for the show, Sony Pictures Television, released a statement affirming that “Wheel of Fortune” garners a whopping average of 20 million unique viewers weekly. This makes it the most-watched television program across all syndication, broadcast, and streaming platforms.
Without revealing the exact duration, Sony confirmed that Seacrest has committed to a “multi-year agreement” with them. Highlighting his prominent role in media, the studio described him as “one of the most nationally recognized voices in media today.” Seacrest’s credits, apart from “American Idol,” include hosting “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and his own morning radio show.
Seacrest reminisced about his early days in his statement for Sony, revealing, “Many people probably don’t know this but one of my first jobs was hosting a small game show called ‘Click for Merv Griffin’ 25 years ago. So, this is genuinely a full circle moment for me, and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity.”
Earlier this month, 76-year-old Sajak made his retirement plans public via Twitter, revealing that he plans to step down after the show’s 41st season, commencing this September. With his extended service, Sajak holds the record for the longest-serving host of any U.S. TV game show, surpassing the tenures of Bob Barker on “The Price is Right” and Alex Trebek on “Jeopardy!”
Sajak and White, throughout their long-standing association with “Wheel of Fortune,” have been honored with a Daytime Emmy for outstanding game show host three times, amongst a total of 19 nominations.\
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