Pat Sajak Once Made It Clear How He Felt About His Wheel Of Fortune Replacement
After more than 40 years at "Wheel of Fortune," Pat Sajak will finally be handing over hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest at the end of next season. However, prior to the announcement, he hinted at how he felt about whoever would take over from him.
As Sajak previously shared in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation's "The Interviews" series, when he was first asked to join the cast of "Wheel of Fortune," he wasn't immediately sold on the idea. Despite capturing the attention of producer Merv Griffin during a weather report, he recalled thinking, "I don't know if I'm a game show host." Boy, was he wrong. After 35 years and 198 days at the helm of "Wheel of Fortune," Sajak was officially named the longest-running game show host on a singular show by Guinness World Records. And, he didn't stop there. In 2021, he celebrated 40 years as the show's host — though he joked that he didn't see himself hanging on to the position much longer. In an interview with ET, he mused, "I wouldn't bet on it, seeing us in 10 years."
Sure enough, less than two years later, he announced his retirement — and soon after, Ryan Seacrest was named as his successor. A big change, no doubt ... but Sajak had been pretty clear about who he'd like to replace him in the past.
He's joked that it could be anyone
Well, clear to a point, anyway. Even with his incredible legacy, for years, Pat Sajak has made it known that he feels that just about anyone could take over from him. And no, that's not an exaggeration.
Back in 2020, after the health scare that saw his daughter, Maggie Sajak temporarily stand in for him, TMZ reporters asked Pat who he thought would take over from him in the event of his eventual retirement. His response? He had no idea. "Maybe you guys, I don't know," he quipped. As for who he'd want to see in the role, he remained similarly nonchalant, laughing, "Once I'm gone, I don't care who takes the reins."
A few years on, that seems to have remained the case. As seen in a clip shared via the "Wheel of Fortune" Instagram account in early 2023, in a playful exchange with a contestant, Sajak hinted that he wouldn't even be opposed to an animal doing his job. After hearing the contestant say he preferred dogs to people, the legendary host deadpanned, "That increases the pool for my successor. There is that." The message is clear: Pat has no problems passing the baton to anyone. Literally, anyone.
... but he's happy that Ryan Seacrest got the job
Though "Wheel of Fortune" shared an edited image of a dog hosting the show in wake of Pat Sajak's comments, it turns out there won't be a canine in the mix after all. Ryan Seacrest is officially next in line — and, despite his previous jokes, Sajak seems to be pretty happy with the new arrangements.
Taking to Twitter, the soon-to-be retiree wrote, "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." Gushy? Not exactly, but given that he'd previously joked that he didn't care who would get the job, we'll take it!
As for Seacrest, he's made no secret of his excitement about joining the show. In an Instagram post sharing the news, he shared that he was a longtime fan of "the legendary Pat Sajak." Seacrest went on to add, "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." Sajak might not have had particular names in mind when it came to his eventual replacement, but given Seacrest's own pedigree, we're excited to see how the show evolves in the near future.