Seacrest in.
Ryan Seacrest has been named the next host of "Wheel of Fortune," succeeding Pat Sajak. The news was confirmed in a statement on Seacrest's Instagram page.
"I'm truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak," Seacrest said. "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."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sajak revealed his planned exit from "Wheel of Fortune" on June 12, so this was a surprisingly quick announcement, especially compared to what happened when "Jeopardy!" needed to find a new host. After Alex Trebek died in 2020, the quiz show brought in a series of guest hosts over the course of months before finally announcing a succession plan in August 2021 — only for one of the new hosts, Mike Richards, to immediately resign in disgrace after offensive podcast comments resurfaced. "Wheel" and "Jeopardy!" are both produced by Sony.
The timing worked out for Seacrest, as he announced his exit from "Live With Kelly and Ryan" in February. He has also served as host of "American Idol" and game shows like "The Million Second Quiz" and "Click." But Seacrest won't be taking over until 2024, as Sajak is returning for one last season.
In his Instagram post, Seacrest said he's "grateful to Sony for the opportunity" and "can't wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White." His statement implied White will return to the show, and Puck recently reported she is negotiating to stay on after her current deal ends.
When he announced his retirement, Sajak told fans that "the time has come," adding, "It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all."
-
Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly TuttleFeature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
-
Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
-
Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitionsFeature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
