‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’: Will Ryan Seacrest Take Over After Pat Sajak’s Final Spin?
Pat Sajak might have retired from Wheel of Fortune in June, but the beloved host isn’t entirely done with the show just yet, as he will helm the upcoming Celebrity spinoff for one last season.
ABC announced its fall 2024 lineup earlier this month, which included the fifth season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The show will kick off on Monday, October 7 at 8/7c, and the season is being touted as Sajak’s final spin of the wheel. Sajak will film his episodes in September.
Sajak’s return to host Celebrity Wheel of Fortune might come as a surprise to some viewers, especially after the show made such a big deal out of his retirement last month. After over four decades of hosting Wheel, Sajak bid farewell to fans on the June 7 episode of the regular syndicated edition.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he said. “It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade. And I’ve always felt that privilege came with the responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”
While ABC bosses have yet to say why exactly Sajak is hosting another season of the Celebrity edition despite his retirement, TMZ sources claim it was always the plan. “We are told that Pat had one more year of the show’s primetime edition as part of his prior contract,” the outlet reported.
Meanwhile, American Idol‘s Ryan Seacrest is set to take over as host of regular Wheel when it returns for its 42nd season in September. He will be joined by long-time letter-turner Vanna White, who will also remain on Celebrity Wheel with Sajak. Seacrest’s episodes will resume filming in August.
The question now is, what happens with Celebrity Wheel once Sajak walks off into the sunset for good? Will Seacrest take over hosting duties of that show too? Or will they find another host? Fans have long been pushing for White or Sajak’s daughter, Maggie Sajak, to be given a chance as the show’s main host.
According to TMZ, Seacrest is expected to take over as Celebrity Wheel host for the following season. However, this has yet to be confirmed. It hasn’t even been confirmed if Celebrity Wheel will continue beyond its upcoming season or if White still stick with the show after the latest season.
There are obvious parallels here to Wheel of Fortune sister show Jeopardy!, which also had its own messy host situation following the passing of long-time host Alex Trebek. Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik shared hosting duties for a while. Bialik hosted the Celebrity edition and other spinoffs until she was eventually dropped in December 2023.
One thing’s for sure: ABC bosses will be keeping an especially close eye on Wheel ratings when Seacrest takes over. they will want to make sure that their choice of new host has paid off. It will also be interesting to see if the Celebrity version receives a ratings boost for fans looking to get their fill of Sajak.
Of course, there is always pressure when a new host takes over an iconic show, and Seacrest will hope the ratings for his version of Wheel stay as good as Sajak’s or better. Meanwhile, it would only be human for Sajak not to want his replacement to suddenly receive a huge ratings surge.
What are your thoughts on the Wheel hosting situation? Should Seacrest also take over the Celebrity edition? Or should the show find a new host?
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Season Premiere, Monday, October 7, 8/7c, ABC
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services