Vanna White Compares ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Hosts Pat Sajak & Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White, and Pat Sajak in 'Wheel of Fortune'
Wheel of Fortune

What To Know

  • Vanna White compared former host Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak and current host Ryan Seacrest.
  • White said that she and the Wheel of Fortune team strive to keep the show fresh.
  • She also admitted to initial apprehension during the host transition.

Ranking Wheel of Fortune hosts Pat Sajak and Ryan Seacrest is one puzzle Vanna White isn’t going to solve.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on April 25, the Wheel letter-turner said that comparing Sajak, her previous costar, and Seacrest, the game show’s current emcee, is like “comparing apples to oranges.”

She added, “They’re both great. Everybody has their own style, and people watching the show can see their personality. You’ve watched Pat for years, and you see how he is, and you watch Ryan, and you see how he is. They’re both incredible to work with and easy to work with. And I, of course, have enjoyed working with both of them!”

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The wheel has continued spinning since Sajak retired in 2024 and passed the podium to Seacrest, and White told EW that she and her colleagues “do whatever we can” to make the game show better.

“We’re always looking to keep it fresh,” she explained. “I have worn over 8,000 dresses on the show, so every single day you’re going to see me in a new dress, you’re going to see new puzzles, you’re going to see new jokes, and new contestants, and new winners. So I think we keep it pretty fresh. People still watch and enjoy the show, and I hope they will continue to.”

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in September 2024, White admitted she had apprehensions during the Sajak–Seacrest turnover, even though she had known the American Idol host for about 20 years. “I think our chemistry is good,” she said of her new costar. “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.”

In a statement about his new hosting gig, Seacrest said that he was “truly humbled” to follow Sajak’s footsteps, that it had been “a privilege and pure joy” to watch Sajak and White share the screen for four decades, and that he “[couldn’t] wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”

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