1 week Ago By Phillip McDonald
Ryan Seacrest has revealed he hopes fans will see he was the right choice to take over the Wheel of Fortune. Pat Sajak , 77, recently handed off Wheel of Fortune hosting duties to new host Ryan after hosting the game show for 41 years. Ryan , 49, is set to make his hosting debut for season 42 of Wheel of Fortune on Monday, September 9, and has promised that besides the new host, and the fancy, gold-trimmed game board , fans can expect much of the same from the game show .
The American Idol host told USA Today , he's not trying to reinvent the "Wheel of Fortune." "Nothing needs to change," he continued, adding "Just me standing there with my voice and my mannerisms, that's different enough." Ryan told the outlet, "I want the audience to feel like this is the right decision.
I want [the show] to be something that's not jarring, that's seamless." READ MORE THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE "It's like remodeling your home after 40 years," co-host Vanna White , 67, added while sitting next to Ryan in the game show's green room before their first taping . She continued, "You still feel like you're at home, but it's just a little updated.
" "We're still trying to look for where the outlets are," Ryan quipped. Pat Sajak didn't have a say in his replacement but wouldn't have chosen Ryan if he did - a studio source told The U.S.
Sun. Most read in Game shows Pat announced his retirement from Wheel of Fortune in June 2023, and just weeks later , Ryan was named his successor. Millions of viewers will decide how Ryan will be as host alongside TV royalty Vanna.
However, a top-level Sony source shared that Ryan didn't get much help for the big gig in a mentor-mentee relationship with Pat. PAT'S PICK “Ryan wasn’t Pat’s choice to replace him and Pat deliberately stayed out of that process," they said. "Ryan 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. Ryan Seacrest is quite the workaholic, with the Hollywood multiphenate juggling perhaps more ongoing jobs than any other A-lister: -Host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC -Host of American Top 40 on KIIS-FM -Host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM -Host of American Idol since its very first season in 2001 -Host of Wheel of Fortune as of 2024 Ryan has exited many previous roles in the past few years to get where he is today, including as an executive producer of Hulu's The Kardashians and co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark . Hard work pays off; according to Celebrity Net Worth, Ryan's worth a fortune of $450 million "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.
" "But it could certainly be a different story a year from now, especially if there’s erosion in the ratings.” Ryan graciously paid tribute to Pat for his “dedication, charm, and wit” in an Instagram statement when the TV legend’s last episode aired on June 7, 2024. “You’ve set the standard for hosts everywhere, and this marks the end of an era.
” However, the pair has spent limited time on-set together even as Pat filmed one last season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune to fulfill his contract, which airs this fall. Other than a brief commercial spot where Pat told Ryan you'll "never find a better job or co-host," they haven't overlapped much. Pat also penned a statement on Friday, September 6, bidding his "goodbye" to fans, but did not mention Ryan in his message.
The source did not share who Pat had in mind for his replacement, though many fans have backed his daughter, Maggie Sajak, who is currently a social media correspondent. Pat is keeping a watchful eye on the transition as a consulting producer for the next three years. HIS OWN SPIN While there are also doubts from fans that Ryan will live up to Pat, he's shown early signs he's taking the role very seriously.
The New York Times reported that, unlike Pat, Ryan doesn't use cue cards during his contestant intros and has memorized everything for the interview segments—he also doesn't need a teleprompter. A studio source previously told The U.S.
Sun that Ryan's host style is vastly different from Pat's overall - and he's worked tirelessly for this. "Ryan is simply not doing the low-key version of the show that Pat did,” the source said. “He's brought every bit of his 'hype-beast' morning radio and New Year's Eve energy to the production of his first episodes.
“It's a pretty big shift and an obvious grab for a younger generation of viewers than Pat had. Read More on The US Sun “Ryan just makes the whole Wheel experience feel hipper, faster and less sleepy than the version of the show that Pat did for all those years.” "God knows how many old episodes of Wheel he watched, but he really prepared for this gig.
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