The new Wheel of Fortune presenter has been chosen, and he or she is one of the most recognizable faces on television: Ryan Seacrest, the veteran American Idol host, and former Live! “I will be taking the wheel together with Kelly and Ryan.”
The announcement of Pat Sajak’s retirement as host, which will finish with the current season in 2024, came barely a week earlier.
According to two people with knowledge of the strategy, the New York Times reported that officials at Sony Pictures Television had selected Seacrest to serve as host. The unnamed sources reportedly said that Vanna White, whose deal expires the following year, is in talks to remain on the program as co-host.
In contrast to Jeopardy!, the show’s sister program, the rapid announcement of a new host contrasts with the lengthy search for a replacement for the late Alex Trebek, which included a long list of celebrity guest hosts and the removal of the final choice, former executive producer Mike Richards.
While Wheel of Fortune has its replacement host selected a year in advance, this should allow for a more seamless transition to the show’s new era.
In addition to celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg and Andy Cohen, Seacrest was earlier mentioned as the front-runner. Longtime co-host Vanna White received a lot of fan support for the position.
Since 1983, Mr. Sajak has been the show’s host, making Wheel of Fortune one of the longest-running game programs in TV history and a consistent rating winner for syndicated networks. He tweeted on June 12 to reveal he would be retiring.
“I’ll have more to say in the upcoming months. It’s been a beautiful voyage. Thank you all very much,” he wrote.
Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)
— Pat Sajak (@PatOnWheel) June 12, 2023
The timing was perfect for Seacrest because, in April, he announced his resignation as Kelly Ripa’s co-host on Live, a position he had held since 2017. He explained that it was challenging to film the morning chat show in New York City while residing in Los Angeles, where he also presents American Idol.
The wheel fits Seacrest as a new job because its episodes are recorded in Culver City, California.
Nobody involved with the show has made an official announcement.
What do you make of this information? Would you rather have someone else as the host or do you believe Ryan Seacrest will do well?