Vanna White has already settled into a routine with new Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest, but she was initially worried about how they’d mesh on the long-running game show.
“I had no idea what to expect when I’m used to one person for so long,” White, 67, said during a Sunday, September 1, interview on CBS Sunday Mornings. “I was very scared, but he’s doing a great job.”
The TV icon went on to note that she and Seacrest, 49, met “probably 20 years” ago, but they’ve gotten closer since he was announced as Pat Sajak’s replacement last year.
“In the past couple of months, we’ve done some traveling together for the show and we got to know each other a little better too, so I think our chemistry is good,” White explained.
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Sajak, 77, announced his retirement from Wheel of Fortune in June 2023 after more than 40 years as host. “Well, the time has come,” he said in a statement at the time. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
That same month, Sony Pictures Television, which produces the game show, announced that Seacrest would be taking the reins from Sajak in 2024.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement at the time. “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. 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.”
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Sajak hosted his final show on June 7 after taping more than 8,000 episodes. At the end of his final episode, the host gave a heartfelt speech about his time on the series.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye. I have a few thanks and acknowledgements before I go. And I want to start with all of you watching out there,” he told the audience and viewers at home. “It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade. And I’ve always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”
Seacrest’s first episode is set to air Monday, September 9.
“This is such an incredible, special franchise,” he said on CBS Sunday Mornings. “It’s more than a TV show. It is something that means something to people. And when I found out that this was an opportunity for me, there was no thought to this. It was like, ‘Absolutely, let’s figure it out and let’s get started.’”
