Ryan Seacrest ‘So Excited’ For WHEEL OF FORTUNE Hosting Gig

Published: September 26, 2023

Ryan Seacrest ‘So Excited’ For WHEEL OF FORTUNE Hosting Gig

By Movieguide® Contributor

Ryan Seacrest is sharing his vision for WHEEL OF FORTUNE before he starts hosting the popular game show next year.

“My version will be the version that is,” Seacrest said during an interview with Willie Geist. “The game works. All you want to do is walk in and say, ‘Good evening,’ grab your devices and ‘Here’s the first puzzle.’”

He praised longtime host Pat Sajak as “an icon” and commended him for making WHEEL OF FORTUNE “so comfortable for everybody to watch.”

“I’m like a kid so excited about just seeing the set, you know, to walk out on that set,” Seacrest added.

Seacrest spoke more about his upcoming game show gig in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, admitting that he feels “a lot of pressure” but is also “really excited” to get started.

“I’ve looked up to [Sajak] forever,” he shared. “He’s so good at that job, which, you know, is a little bit of pressure here. But he just said, ‘You’re going to have a great time. It’s so much fun. What’s better than giving away money and doing that every single night?’ I can’t wait to meet the contestants and do it.”

He has also shared his excitement about getting to work with Vanna White, WHEEL OF FORTUNE’s longtime letter-turner.

“She’s beloved by this nation [and] she is just such an important part of the show. She has been for so many years,” Seacrest said. “I’m honored to be on stage with her soon.She’s super, sweet and super nice and it’s just going to be surreal for me to be on that set…standing next to the legendary Vanna White.”

Movieguide® previously reported on Sajak’s retirement announcement and Seacrest’s hiring:

Ryan Seacrest has been named as the next host of WHEEL OF FORTUNE following longtime host Pat Sajak’s retirement.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement about his new gig. “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”

Seacrest’s hiring as the game show’s new host comes just a few weeks after Sajak’s announcement that he would be retiring.

In a statement, Sajak told fans, “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.”