Ryan Seacrest Expects 'Jitters' Hosting 'Wheel of Fortune' — and Admits He's a 'Terrible Speller' (Exclusive)

The TV host talked with PEOPLE at New York City's Cohen Children's Medical Center while opening his 13th Seacrest Studios broadcast center for child patients through the Ryan Seacrest Foundation

Ryan Seacrest is getting his game face on for his Wheel of Fortune hosting debut.

The American Idol emcee revealed to PEOPLE at the opening of his latest Seacrest Studios at New York City's Cohen Children’s Medical Center that, despite his years in the spotlight, he isn’t immune to performance anxiety when it comes to stepping into TV legend Pat Sajak's role on the long-time running show.

“I'm sure I will get nervous jitters,” Seacrest, 48, told PEOPLE. “The show has been a staple for people and myself and my family forever. And so you just want to walk out there and do what's been happening for so many years and not screw it up.”

Related: Ryan Seacrest to Replace Pat Sajak as New 'Wheel of Fortune' Host: 'I'm Truly Humbled'

He also admitted that one of the game show's most foundational elements is surprisingly something of an Achilles heel for him.

“Actually, I'm a terrible speller,” he admitted (on the other hand, his mother “thinks she's a great speller,” he quips).

Seacrest qualifies, “But, on the show I'm better than on my cell phone when I type or text.”

Luckily he’ll be able to have Wheel of Fortune veteran Vanna White there to support him with the letters, as she reached a deal with the show to extend her contract for two additional years.

“Vanna has been such a staple on that show and in our living rooms for so many years. I have been very excited to work with her, but now that it's official I can say, 'Congratulations Vanna! I can't wait,'” he said on Sunday Today with Willie Geist. 

Related: Ryan Seacrest Reacts to Vanna White's 'Wheel of Fortune' Deal: 'Very Happy I'll Be Able to Work with Her'

Seacrest shared that he's in “unofficial prep” right now for his Wheel of Fortune debut and has even started to watch it “differently” now that he knows he’s going to take the reins after Sajak's retirement at the end of season 41.

“I can't believe that it's going to be real. But I'm super excited,” Seacrest told PEOPLE. “I don't remember when I felt this much excitement and enthusiasm for something.”

Aside from hosting prep, the TV and radio personality has been juggling a slew of different projects including running his radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest and doing philanthropy work through his Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which opened its 13th Seacrest Studio broadcast location on Tuesday.

“I just wanted to do something tangible,” Seacrest told PEOPLE of the project. “I wanted to see and feel and touch something that I was behind and a part of, and I’ve spent a lot of time at these kinds of studios. I know every time I’m inside one, I forget about everything that’s going on in my life and that’s the idea and hope here.”

The new, state-of-the-art studio will allow programming from celebrity guests educational content, live music, patient-created shows, music therapy and more to be broadcasted on-air throughout children patient rooms in the hospital, with the hope that the pediatric patients can participate or tune in.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The ultimate goal, said Seacrest, is to connect all the Seacrest Studios in children’s hospitals across the U.S. so that all children can interact with content from different places.

“A couple weeks ago, Ed Sheeran was in Colorado. We can have all the studios watch and ask questions and be a part of that event. So after we continue to build what 13, 14, 15 [Seacrest Studios], we want to make event programming come together,” he said.

The next Seacrest Studios is set to pop up at a children’s hospital in Salt Lake City. 

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.