The news came shortly after Pat Sajak announced he would be retiring at the end of season 41.
Tuesday, June 27 2023 17:16
ANGEL — Ryan Seacrest will be the new host of the long-running game show “Wheel of Fortune” starting in 2024, producers announced Tuesday.
News of Seacrest's takeover came shortly after Pat Sajak has announced he is retiring in the season 41 finale, which airs this fall.
“I can say, along with all of America, that it has been a pure privilege and joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel at home with them,” Seacrest said in a statement. a statement. “Pat, I love the way you always celebrate the contestants and make viewers feel at home at home. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.
Sajak, 76, has helmed the game show, which features contestants guessing letters to try to fill in words and phrases to win money and prizes, since 1981. He took over from Chuck Woolery, who became the first host when the show started. in 1975.
With Vanna White who joined in 1982, Sajak became a mainstay of television. The show immediately went into syndication and ran nightly in many markets, becoming one of the most successful game shows in history. Sajak even broke the record for the longest-running game show host, passing Bob Barker during the 2018-19 season.
Seacrest, who will also serve as a “Wheel” consulting producer, is no stranger to the hosting spotlight — with 21 seasons of ABC's “American Idol” and six seasons of ABC's “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on his resume. He has also continued to be a television fixture as host of the annual live broadcast of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest since 2005.
“While Ryan has some big shoes to fill, I'm confident he will connect with our loyal fan base and excite new audiences as we expand on the great show's legacy. I couldn't be happier,” Suzanne Prete, EVP of Game Shows at Sony Pictures Television , said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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