Credit: ABCThough Pat Sajak has dedicated most of his professional life to hosting Wheel of Fortune, he is finally set to retire. Sajak’s legendary run on the fan-favorite game show will come after next season, leaving the door open for someone new to take over. That choice has finally been made.
Related: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host to Retire After 41 Seasons
The long-standing show has been in production since 1975, though the run with Pat Sajak and Vanna White started in 1983. The show has been syndicated for 40 seasons, meaning it can be licensed to multiple networks by its publisher. There are over 7,000 episodes that are also syndicated, making Sajak’s run it’s most fruitful.
Interestingly, though Pat Sajak is stepping away from Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White has indicated she plans to stay and host alongside whoever has been chosen to take the reins from Sajak. However, White also uses Sajak’s departure to lobby for a pay raise, which we believe she is rightfully owed after also dedicating decades to the game show.
Though we are unsure how White will manage with her pitch to get more money, it appears that the game show has already chosen its next host, and it is someone that many people will certainly know.
Ryan Seacrest Will Host ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Wheel of Fortune pic.twitter.com/pQeTpWsPx7
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) June 27, 2023
Ryan Seacrest took to Twitter to thank Sony and the production studio for giving him a chance to host Wheel of Fortune. The man has held many jobs in the entertainment world, which started with his explosion in fame during his time on American Idol.
From there, Seacrest gained hosting duties for red-carpet events, New Year’s Eve celebrations, radio shows, talk shows, and more. We wonder if his stepping in to host Wheel of Fortune will cause him to downsize the many shows and events he hosts year-round. Either way, Seacrest is excited to be given this tremendous opportunity.
Seacrest also stated that one of his first jobs was on a game show called Click, where he worked with Merv Griffin some 25 years ago. This now “full circle” moment is what he plans to use to invigorate his hosting duties for this illustrious game show.
Ryan Seacrest will take over Wheel of Fortune with Vanna White in 2024.
This selection also seems quick because the show is likely trying not to make a mistake like Jeopardy! had been doing when former legendary host Alek Trebek passed away from his battle with cancer.
Jeopardy! became a story full of drama as the search for a permanent host went on for practically an entire year. Mike Richards was meant to be the host but had been canceled due to ugly things he had said on a podcast. Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings were finally chosen to handle trade-off duties hosting, but Bialik has also seen her fair share of criticism.
Simply put, that trainwreck of a situation is something that Wheel of Fortune wanted to ignore completely, so they have chosen Ryan Seacrest as the host, which is a great selection. He will take over after next season.
Related: Whoopi Goldberg Wants to Take a Spin at Hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Unfortunately, this means Whoopi Goldberg will not be allowed to host, as the actress and television personality tried to throw her hat into the ring to be interviewed for the position.
Do you like that Ryan Seacrest is the new host of Wheel of Fortune? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!