Pat Sajak Called It! Departing 'Wheel of Fortune' Host Joked Show Had Ryan Seacrest 'on Speed Dial' Years Ago
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Ryan Seacrest will take over for the retiring Pat Sajak as host of 'Wheel of Fortune' after the show’s upcoming 41st season
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Pat Sajak has long suspected Ryan Seacrest had a good shot at becoming the next Wheel of Fortune host.
After Tuesday’s announcement that Seacrest would be his successor, a 2012 clip from the game show resurfaced online in which the longtime host joked that the American Idol host was only a call away.
In the video, a contestant asked for a vowel and the host responded, 'You spun the wheel, you have to ask for a consonant.”
Sajak, 76, quickly realized his error and corrected himself, saying, 'Oh wait, you spun a free play, I'm an idiot. You see the way it works is if you land… Nevermind. Is there an 'E' in the puzzle?'
He ran into trouble again later in the episode when another contestant spun and landed on a trip to Arizona. After asking for an 'N' Sajak admitted that he was “not sure” if that letter was in the puzzle.
After the contestant picked up the piece for the trip, Sajak joked, “Seacrest is on speed dial.”
Middlesworth/ABC via Getty Images
Sajak’s remark came more than a decade before Seacrest, 48, was named his replacement on Wheel of Fortune. Through his multi-year deal with the popular game show, the former Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host will also serve as a consulting producer, Sony Pictures Television announced on Tuesday.
Addressing his hiring, Seacrest said he's "truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak."
"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," Seacrest said in a statement. "Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition."
"Many people probably don’t know this but one of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merv Griffin 25 years ago so this is truly a full circle moment for me and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity," he added. "I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White."
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Following the announcement, Sajak — who revealed on June 12 that he will leave Wheel of Fortune after season 41 — shared a supportive message on Twitter.
"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," wrote the TV personality.
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