Ryan Seacrest Shares Pat Sajak and Vanna White’s Advice for Hosting Wheel of Fortune
The wheel was spun and landed on some prime advice for Ryan Seacrest.
The 48-year-old shared the advice former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak and co-host Vanna White gave him ahead of hosting the game show in 2024.
"They've just told me how fun the show is," Ryan exclusively told E! News. "It is probably the best show to work on on television. You're giving away money every single night to people, and it never gets old."
As for his excitement on joining Vanna up on the iconic stage? "I've known her for a long time," he said. "We've known each other for many, many years, and so I'm looking forward to being on that set with her."
And joining such a longstanding series does leave Ryan with a few nerves, but more than anything, he's anticipating an exciting season ahead.
"Of course I'm nervous. I haven't done it yet, so I'm terrified," he confessed. "I am very much looking forward to it."
Ryan added, "Pat Sajak's a legend whom I've looked up to and watched so many years, and to know that that show is such a staple for America and such a destination for people and families in the evening, I just want to do my best job and make it seamless and have people continue to enjoy it."
But before Ryan steps into the role of Wheel of Fortune host, the star was focused on unveiling The Ryan Seacrest Foundation's latest Seacrest Studio, a broadcast media center for patients at Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, N.Y. Sept. 19.
Detailing how he came up with the idea for Seacrest Studios, Ryan shared, "I wanted to do something tangible for my mission and my purpose and my foundation. And I met with parents at different children's hospitals and talked to them about what their kids were going through and asked them how they escaped from it."
He noted, "There wasn't a consistent answer, so I thought, 'What if we could build something that was the heartbeat, the pulse, of the hospital, in the middle of the hospital, that allowed them to escape?' And that's how we came up with the studio idea."
Back in June, Pat announced he was stepping down from his role as the CBS show's host at the end of its upcoming season after 40 years.
"Well, the time has come," he said in a statement to E! News. "I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last."
Pat added, "It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all."
Two weeks later, Ryan was named the new host, sharing his excitement to follow in Pat's footsteps.
Giving a direct nod to the 76-year-old, Ryan wrote on social media at the time, "Pat, I love the way you've always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition."
And on Sept. 19, it was confirmed in a press release that Vanna will spin the wheel once more, as she extended her contract by two years and will remain in her letter revealing role through the 2025-26 season.
—Reporting by Nikaline McCarley
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