After Wheel of Fortune entered a new era in 2024 with Ryan Seacrest taking over for Pat Sajak, the new host is revealing a big goal he has for the new year. Seacrest’s first episodes officially started airing in September, and while fans had mixed opinions on him, it seems like he’s been doing alright, despite some reported behind-the-scenes troubles with the crew and Vanna White. Regardless, Seacrest is looking ahead to more Wheel and told Fox News while attending the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball on Dec. 6 his goals for 2025.
“I am always impressed and grateful for what the show has meant to me before I even started working there and what it means to so many people and generations around the country,” Seacrest said. “I love giving away the money. I get so excited when people win the money, and they win a lot of money. I’m hoping to give away a million dollars in 2025.”
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It’s a big ask, even for a show that’s been on the air for a long time. Throughout Wheel of Fortune’s run, only four people have won the million-dollar prize during the Bonus Round. Most recently, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart won it on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune in October 2021, donating the prize to her chosen charity, Youth Villages. Of course, that’s not the only time the million dollars has come up during the Bonus Round, as there have been people who have unfortunately gotten the envelope with the big prize but did not complete the Bonus Puzzle, as what happened last fall.
Seacrest was pretty close to giving away a million dollars with just his second week, so it is quite possible. Even though he was blamed for costing someone $13,000. Considering it is Wheel of Fortune, though, anything can happen. At the very least, Seacrest has plenty of time to give away that kind of prize money, assuming he stays on Wheel of Fortune for a long time. He knows how it feels seeing people’s lives change in an instant after hosting American Idol. This is just a tad different.
It will be interesting and entertaining to see if Ryan Seacrest manages to give away a million dollars in 2025, but the year just started. You never know what could go down on Wheel of Fortune.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
