Following Pat Sajak’s retirement, Wheel of Fortune’s new era will be starting soon. That new era begins when Ryan Seacrest takes over. For months now, Seacrest and co-star Vanna White have been hard at work on the new season. (Yes, they even did an adorable photoshoot with a puppy.) After rumors swirled there were problems between her and Seacrest, White is opening up about one big reason she was actually nervous to have him join Wheel of Fortune.
Not long after Sajak announced his retirement, fans were told Seacrest would be taking his place, adding yet another project to his lengthy and ever-growing resumé. Having someone new hosting the long-running game show is not an easy task, though, even with all of the previous and current hosting duties that Seacrest has under his belt.
In fact, White told CBS Sunday Mornings how it's been on set as they've learned to work together, also admitting she was initially nervous about having the American Idol host by her side.
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… That’s so true. I had no idea what to expect when I’m used to one person for so long. I was very scared, but he’s doing a great job.
White and Sajak worked together literally for decades on Wheel of Fortune. For a long time, it would have been hard to even imagine the show without either of them because they are Wheel of Fortune. Even though White has known Seacrest for quite some time, it makes sense that she was still nervous and worried to work with someone else other than Sajak on the series.
Luckily, she and Seacrest had great chemistry, though it still couldn’t have been easy to find that natural flow with a new host.
The new season of Wheel of Fortune got a pretty early start on promos, as Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest started filming together in February, (likely) some time before filming on the season even started. Now they’ve had some more time together, it seems to be working out OK, regardless of nerves or any rumors we've heard. Still feelings about the change could linger.
Speaking of rumors, should fans should fans worry about White also leaving? People have been all over Maggie Sajak potentially taking her place, and, if she were to quit, it’s not hard to see why. Pat Sajak’s daughter has been a big part of Wheel of Fortune in recent years, serving as the show’s on-air social media correspondent. She’s also filled in for White on more than a few occasions, so fans are already on board for her to be White’s successor if that were to ever happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to seeing how the new duo does when new episodes air. Sure, he may not have the same vibe as one of the best game show hosts, but at least he has a great co-host by his side. It all starts on September 9 on the 2024 TV schedule.
