Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Entertainment
Joseph Wilkinson

Pat Sajak ‘looking forward’ to Ryan Seacrest’s takeover of ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Pat Sajak doesn’t think “Wheel of Fortune” will be going bankrupt when Ryan Seacrest takes over.

The dinnertime television fixture responded to the confirmation of his replacement with a tweet Wednesday morning.

“I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest in September of 2024,” Sajak wrote.

On June 12, Sajak announced that he’d be departing “Wheel” after the upcoming season, which begins this September. Sajak, 76, will have hosted the show for 41 seasons when he’s done.

“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months,” he tweeted. “Many thanks to you all.”

Seacrest, 48, was almost immediately rumored as Sajak’s replacement, despite already being known as “the hardest working man in Hollywood.” However, Seacrest did free up a little time in his busy schedule when he left “Live with Kelly and Ryan” in April.

On Tuesday, “Wheel of Fortune” producers confirmed that Seacrest would be stepping behind the wheel as Sajak’s replacement.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”

Sajak initially joined “Wheel” in 1981 as a replacement for Chuck Woolery. While NBC executives thought the then-Chicago radio host was too small-time for primetime, Sajak quickly proved perfect for the role.

———

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.