It seems like it was fate that Ryan Seacrest would take over hosting duties from Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune! Actually in a surprise turn of events, bringing him on for the role in fall 2024 was years in the making. We definitely did not know this little tidbit of of information.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Seacrest revealed that "there were conversations - actually, years ago - about me doing this show." He continued on to say that he was always interested in adding Wheel of Fortune to his roster of hosting duties, though he ended up waiting a while for that to happen. Here's what else he said to THR about his intrigue for the show:
"When you look at what Pat and Vanna [White, co-host] have built over the years … they are your friends. What they’ve established is special. So that’s why I said yes."
This news is actually a little bit unexpected because Seacrest already has so much on his plate, but I guess he's quite ambitious and it's clear he loves what he does. The time frame he mentions isn't 100% clear. Years ago is pretty vague. So I'm not sure if this perhaps was the time when American Idol, which Seacrest has hosted since season 1, went off the air in 2016 when it was cancelled by Fox and then brought back two years later in 2018 by ABC. It could have been before or after that too.
Like I said, though. Seacrest has always been a busy man and is used to juggling many things. Historically, he's also replaced many iconic people when taking on their roles. Those include Dick Clark for the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special, Michael Strahan on Live With Kelly and Ryan, and finally Sajak on Wheel of Fortune. Plus, he is radio morning show host on KIIS-FM. Like I said, busy!
Since the talented host took over for Sajak and is now co-hosting with Vanna White on the long-time and popular game show, honestly he's done a much better job than we expected him to. And overall, I think viewers have accepted Seacrest and he's become a natural fit. The viewership numbers and the fact that Wheel of Fortune ranks high proves that. Change can be hard, but it seems anything Seacrest takes on, continues on. And that's really great for him, of course, and us viewers.
A new season of our favorite game show will be back this fall 2025, as well as Celebrity Wheel of Fortune season 6. After staying on for the star-filled version, Sajak is now handing over hosting Celebrity Wheel for the first time to Seacrest this fall as well. You'll also be able to stream both shows on Hulu, Disney+, and Peacock.
Tune in to new seasons of Wheel of Fortune and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune this fall on ABC, and stream the next day.
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