Ryan Seacrest signed a multiyear agreement with Sony Pictures Television to become the new host of Wheel of Fortune, giving the company a well-recognized TV personality to succeed Pat Sajak on the popular game show.
Seacrest will take over at the end of season 41 in 2024, the Sony Group Corp. subsidiary said Tuesday in a statement. In addition to serving as host, Seacrest will also be a consulting producer on the show.
With Seacrest, Sony gets a well-liked personality to take the reins of the long-running program. Wheel averages more than 9 million nightly viewers, the company said, in line with prime-time dramas and sitcoms. Bloomberg News first reported on June 12 that Sajak would be stepping down and that Seacrest was a top candidate to succeed him.
Seacrest is among Hollywood’s busiest personalities. He has hosted American Idol for 21 seasons. He’s also host and producer of the No. 1 Los Angeles morning drive-time show for IHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, the nationally syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, Sony said.
He also continues to be a TV fixture as host of the annual live broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest since 2005.
Vanna White, Wheel’s co-star, will work alongside Seacrest.
“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.” Seacrest said in the statement.
