'Wheel of Fortune' Welcomes Ryan Seacrest as New Host After Pat Sajak's Retirement

By Michael Hein

In the wake of Pat Sajak's retirement, Ryan Seacrest will officially take over as the host of Wheel of Fortune in 2024. Sajak announced that he would step down from the podium at the end of the upcoming season, which premieres this fall. On Tuesday, Seacrest and the Wheel of Fortune team confirmed that he will host after Sajak.

Wheel of Fortune has gone virtually unchanged for the past four decades, with Sajak as the host and Vanna White as the co-host. When Sajak announced earlier this month that he is retiring, a lot of questions were raised without answers. Finally, on Tuesday The New York Times reported that Seacrest had signed on to take over, citing two sources familiar with the production. Not long after that, Seacrest and the Wheel of Fortune team confirmed the news with social media posts of their own.

"I'm truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak," Seacrest wrote on Instagram. "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. Pat, I love the way you've always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition."

"Many people probably don't know this but one of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merve Griffin 25 years ago so this is truly a full circle moment for me and I'm grateful to Sony for the opportunity," Seacrest went on. "I can't wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White."

There's no word yet on how this new job prospect might change things for Seacrest, who currently hosts American Idol as well as his own radio show. According to NYT, hosting a game show is a coveted job in Hollywood as it can be highly successful with little personal involvement – sometimes only a few days of work per month during the season. This may mean Seacrest will be free to pursue his other work with no interruption.

Wheel of Fortune airs in syndication on weeknights in the U.S. The upcoming season premiering this fall will be Sajak's last, while White still has at least one more year on her contract. There are still plenty more episodes to go before Seacrest will take the podium in earnest.

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