Ryan Seacrest is getting ready to take on an all-new role: Wheel of Fortune host. On Monday, Sept. 9, Seacrest will make his hosting debut for Wheel of Fortune Season 42, issuing in a new era for the long-running game show, but according to inside sources, the former American Idol host wasn’t Pat Sajak’s top pick for his replacement.
Speaking to The Sun ahead of Monday’s season premiere, a “top-level Sony source” offered some insight into Seacrest’s casting, revealing that he “wasn’t Pat’s choice to replace him.” According to the source, Sajak apparently didn’t have much say in his replacement, as he “deliberately stayed out of that process.” It’s unclear who Sajak would have liked to been picked as his replacement.
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It was announced in June that Seacrest would be joining Vanna White on the Wheel of Fortune set following Sajak’s retirement from hosting. Sajak had served as the game show’s host for more than 40 years after first joining Wheel in 1981. His last episode aired on June 7, though he is set to return to the franchise to host Celebrity Wheel of Fortune‘s upcoming season. Confirming that he would be stepping in as Sajak’s replacement, Seacrest sung plenty of praise for the long-time host.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” he shared. “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 Sun‘s source said that Seacrest “was extremely smart when he took the job to be utterly respectful to Pat at every turn. Ryan did not want there to be even an ounce of tension between them.” However, the source said the verdict isn’t yet in on Seacrest’s hosting capabilities.
“Ryan acts like he has Pat’s support and for now, that helps him [Ryan] enjoy this honeymoon period, where the fans are going to decide if he’s a good fit for the show,” they said. “But it could certainly be a different story a year from now, especially if there’s erosion in the ratings.”
Seacrest, meanwhile, told USA Today ahead of his Monday hosting debut that he wants “the audience to feel like this is the right decision. I want [the show] to be something that’s not jarring, that’s seamless.”
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