When most people take on a new job, they don’t need to worry about millions of people’s eyeballs watching from the first day onward, but such is life for new Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest, who is taking over for the retired icon Pat Sajak when the new season hits the upcoming Fall TV schedule. It’s been a long time coming, but his debut is fast approaching, and he’s opened up about his excitement and the slice of wisdom he immediately received from Sajak and Vanna White.
Seacrest appeared on Good Morning America opposite White, who’d previously talked about being nervous to have a new co-host after 40+ years, and addressed that even though he’s got the moves down and has started filming, the sense of glee has yet to fade. In his words:
I don’t know if it will ever settle in. I get excited about it every time, I really do. I enjoy being the person who can introduce an audience to a singer, or who can play a new song on the radio, or can meet three people from around the country and help them win cash and prizes. That part never gets old. . . . Pat and Vanna both said to me when I first got here that the best part is, you’re gonna meet three new people every night, and they walk away with cash. That’s what this show is about.
To be sure, Ryan Seacrest has has huge hosting gigs throughout his career, with American Idol and the yearly New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special being two of the most prominent. Now, however, he’ll somehow become cemented as even more of a household name at the front of one of the best game shows of all time.
And for all the glitz and glory that comes along with such a lauded TV position, it’s kind of surprising that the first pleasure Pat Sajak talked about was meeting and potentially changing the lives of a handful of new people on a daily basis. Not technically 100% true, since Wheel of Fortune is like most game shows in that a week’s worth of episodes are filmed in a single day, but the sentiment still tracks.
For a lot of those contestants, appearing on the show will be a lifelong memory they’ll never stop talking about, so it’s actually quite sweet to hear that particular slice of joy being discussed right from the jump. Now, can I also picture Sajak and White then telling Seacrest about all the on-set secrets and life-hacks they’ve picked up over the years? Absolutely. But first and foremost, it’s about the wheel-watching contestants.
Ryan Seacrest said he'd been prepping for months for his Wheel gig, telling this to ABC News' Ginger Zee:
I’ve watched endless episodes of Pat and Vanna on Wheel of Fortune. We have played mock Wheel of Fortune games in many cities across America, depending on where I am. On conference tables and in meeting rooms, we’ve had makeshift wheels and makeshift contestants for months just to sort of get the gameplay down, and the time and pacing down, and hopefully it all pays off.
Will we ever get to a point when Vanna White steps down from her longtime role so that the show’s former newest recruit Maggie Sajak can take over turning the letters, so to speak? That’s what the rumor mill has spread around as of late, and while it could certainly come true in the near to distant future, Vanna’s not going anywhere just yet, so expect to be jealous over some gorgeous one-time dresses and looks for at least a couple more seasons.
Wheel of Fortune Season 42 will finally arrive in syndication on Monday, September 9, so be sure to check your local listings to see where it’s playing in your area. And don’t forget about Pat Sajak’s actual swan song hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune kicks off on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 p.m.
