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“Wheel of Fortune” stars Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest
One week before “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest appears for the first time as the new host of “Wheel of Fortune,” Vanna White has admitted she was “very scared” about him taking over for Pat Sajak, who retired in May 2024 after hosting the iconic game show for more than 40 years.
“I had no idea what to expect when I’m used to one person for so long,” White told “CBS Sunday Morning” on September 1. “I was very scared. But he’s doing a great job.”
White’s not the only one who’s had jitters about the new era of “Wheel of Fortune.” Seacrest, too, admitted to “CBS Sunday Morning” that he’s been working hard to get up to speed before his September 9 debut, hoping that he can adequately fill Sajak’s shoes.
Vanna White Says Viewers Will ‘Need to Get Used to’ Seeing Her With Ryan Seacrest
Seacrest, whose plate is full of hosting gigs — from “American Idol” to his daily national radio show, “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” — told “CBS Sunday Morning” that his newest job at “Wheel of Fortune” is a very big deal to him.
“I want this (job) to go so well,” he said. “I want all of them to go well, but this one’s new. And I want this to be something that people go, ‘OK, you know what? I get it, that makes sense.’”
In order to be on top of his game, Seacrest told the outlet that he’s been practicing for months, explaining, “Wherever I was working, the producers sometimes would come, and they’d bring contestants, and we would play ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in hotels just to get familiar with the rules and scenarios and things that could happen, so that at some point it becomes second nature.”
Seacrest has also spent time getting to know White better, including inviting her to appear on “American Idol” with him in May. White also posted a photo of them dining together in July, which some thought was an attempt to downplay rumors of a feud between them.
“Wheel of Fortune” fans have been divided over Seacrest’s hiring, with some thrilled by the news and others threatening to boycott the show. But White, who has been on the show since 1982, told Los Angeles station ABC7 on August 31 that she trusts fans will adjust to the new pairing.
“We’re together now and people will need to get used to seeing us together,” she told the station, “but I think that will happen quickly because we get along so well.”
Reiterating their new bond to “CBS This Morning,” White said, “I’ve known Ryan for probably 20 years. But in the past couple of months, we’ve done some traveling together for the show, and we got to know each other a little better, too. So, I think our chemistry is good.”
Vanna White & Ryan Seacrest Are Busy Promoting New Season & Showcasing Their Chemistry as Co-Hosts
Seacrest and White’s chemistry was on display when the new co-hosts appeared at California’s Santa Monica Pier to unveil the world’s largest “Wheel of Fortune” wheel — illuminated on the Pier’s ferris wheel — at a promotional event on August 29.
In a video they both shared to their Instagram Stories, Seacrest and White — along with Sajak’s daughter Maggie Sajak, who serves as the show’s social media correspondent — laughed as they realized they were locked inside a trailer at the pier. Seacrest posted an “S.O.S.” sign over the video. It took a while before they finally figured out how to get the door open, but the threesome seemed genuinely tickled by the mini-crisis.
Sajak, who began hosting “Wheel of Fortune” in 1981, announced his upcoming retirement in a June 2023 tweet.
“Well, the time has come,” Sajak wrote. “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!).”
By the end of the month, The New York Times reported that Seacrest — who had just left his daily morning gig at “Live With Kelly & Ryan” weeks before — had been tapped to fill Sajak’s shoes.
White then went through lengthy contract negotiations, per Deadline, and eventually signed on for two more seasons. In May, she told TV Insider she wasn’t sure what will happen for her after the 2025-26 season.
“When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too,” she said. “But I’m not ready! We’ll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job.”
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. Based in Minneapolis, she has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, columnist and publicist, interviewing and working with a wide range of celebrities over the years, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. More about Liv Lane
