Soon after Pat Sajak’s retirement announcement, we’re already hearing that Ryan Seacrest may be the one to take over hosting duties for the Wheel of Fortune.
Is Ryan Seacrest Replacing Pat Sajak?
Pat Sajak announced his retirement from the iconic game show Wheel of Fortune via his Twitter handle. The 76-year-old set the world record for having the longest career as a host for the same game show. The show has received a lot of love from Americans for 40 long years. It will air its 41st season in September 2023 which will be Sajak’s last season as a host on the show.
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. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)
— Pat Sajak (@patsajak) June 12, 2023
The news of Sajak’s retirement was just beginning to sink in when news of his replacements started making a buzz online. According to Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Ryan Seacrest has been named one of the frontrunners to host the iconic game show.
Whether the rumours are to be believed or not, Ryan Seacrest hosting the Wheel of Fortune will not come as a surprise. The 48-year-old is currently a host of American Idol which runs on ABC network. According to Lucas Shaw, Seacrest has had a conversation with the producers of Wheel of Fortune which also runs on the same network.
The odds are surely in Ryan Seacrest‘s favour if he wishes to take over Pat Sajak’s position at the game show. He is also a producer and host for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC since 2006. However, there are a lot of names in the game who are likely to fill Pat Sajak’s shoes. There have been no official announcements of a new host for the game show by the network yet. No matter who replaces Sajak as the host, the 76-year-old believes that the show is here to stay for long.
While talking about Wheel of Fortune which debuted on TV in 1975, Sajak claimed that he’s “proud” and “happy” to be a part of the longest-running game show in the country.
“In most television shows by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s probably enough,’ but this show will not die,”
“It appears I may go before the show. Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near. It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We’re happy and proud.”
