Earlier this month, Ryan Seacrest replaced Pat Sajak as the host of Wheel of Fortune. This game after Sajak hosted the beloved game show for 43 years, with 42 of those years being alongside Vanna White.
White, 67, has decided to remain on Wheel of Fortune and is currently co-hosting the game show with Seacrest, 49. Before his first show, White privately offered him a powerful piece of advice.
White’s Advice For Seacrest
“She said, ‘Just go out there and have fun and be yourself,'” Seacrest told People Magazine.
And while you may think that sounds like “mailing it in” in the advice department, just consider how different Seacrest is from Sajak.
“The good thing about this game show is that you get to be yourself,” he continued. “It has a little looseness to it. It doesn’t have to be so strict and so formatted. It has those moments of real life and humanity.”
Seacrest went on to explain that he and White “have known each other for two decades.”
“We’re friends, which has made it really, really nice and comfortable,” he added.
Seacrest then shifted to discussing how important Wheel of Fortune is to the fans who compete on the program.
“I think I know the show because I’m such a fan of the show, so you think that you know how it’s going to go, but I never realized the excitement with those contestants when they win that money,” he stated. “They walk away with $114,000, $63,000, $42,000. This is life-changing money, and it’s so incredible to see their reaction to that. And they get to do it again every night.”
Seacrest’s Difficult Start On Wheel Of Fortune
Unfortunately for Seacrest, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for him since he took over hosting Wheel of Fortune. Many fans haven’t taken kindly to the way he’s replaced Sajak, 77.
“This is a very stressful time for Ryan,” one Wheel of Fortune insider recently said. “He’s in the seat now! Ryan’s trying to sugarcoat this and say it’s good news, that the only way is up since Pat’s ratings are down. But the bosses are worried it’s a free-fall that might not be automatically reversible just by hiring a new host.”
“The stakes are very high and Ryan’s under enormous pressure to deliver on the massive salary they’re paying him, not to mention the huge money they invested in giving Vanna her raise,” the source continued. “If the ratings don’t come back up, Ryan knows he’ll be the scapegoat, so it’s incredibly stressful.”
Will White Take Over Hosting Wheel Of Fortune?
When White extended her contract last year through 2026, she was given her first raise in 18 years. Now, if Seacrest can’t boost his own ratings, she could be in line to take over hosting Wheel of Fortune herself!
“Vanna’s in the catbird seat,” the insider added. “She can just stand back and see how Ryan gets on. Even if that’s not her intention, she can certainly be the one to benefit from this in a big way because she’d be the next obvious replacement. Everyone knows there’s no one the fans would rather see take over from Ryan — she’d be a slam dunk!”
Full Story: Rumor: Vanna White May Take Over ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ If Ryan Seacrest Can’t Win Over Audience
Watch White talk about the “new era” of Wheel of Fortune in the video below.
As of this writing, Seacrest isn’t going anywhere quite yet. As he tries to increase his ratings, perhaps Seacrest should keep the advice White gave him before he began hosting Wheel of Fortune in mind!
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