Ryan Seacrest is trading Live! with Kelly and Ryan for Wheel of Fortune and Kelly Ripa for Vanna White as his co-star, and he couldn't be more excited.
The former Live! host was announced as the new face of Wheel of Fortune earlier this year, after legendary host Pat Sajak revealed he would be retiring after the current season, writing in a Tweet: "Well, the time has come... I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last."
Since Pat announced his retirement, rumors quickly swirled over whether Vanna, who has been on the show since 1982, would be leaving with him, just as details of her allegedly stunted salary (Puck News reported she had not received a raise in nearly two decades) were revealed.
Vanna has since extended her contract through the 2025-2026 TV season, and will be by Ryan's side when he makes his debut in the fall of 2024.
And he can't wait! Speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, the American Idol host opened up about his relationship with Vanna.
"I'm so excited! She's beloved by this nation, she is just such an important part of the show. She has been for so many years," he said, maintaining: "I'm honored to be on stage with her soon."
© GettyRyan revealed that they have already shared "just the most pleasant texts," and continued: "She's super, sweet and super nice and it's just going to be surreal for me to be on that set," noting: "And of course standing next to the legendary Vanna White."
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Further opening up about his new gig, and his predecessor, Ryan said: "There's no one better than Pat Sajak. He is so smooth and seamless. He's beloved by the country," admitting: "I feel a lot of pressure."
© GettyHowever, he added: "I'm really excited," before joking: "I can't wait to just give away a bunch of money to people every night."
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© GettyWhat's more, in a previous interview with ET, Ryan gave some insight into Pat's encouragement of him, telling the outlet the TV icon told him: "You're going to have a great time. It's so much fun. What's better than giving away money and doing that every single night?"
And further praising Pat, Ryan said: "He is a legend. I've looked up to him forever. He's so good at that job."
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