A remodel of the set of “Wheel of Fortune”? Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest explain.
Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest talk with USA TODAY’s Bryan Alexander about updates on the “Wheel of Fortune” set.
For the first time in 41 years, “Wheel of Fortune” fans who tune in to the show’s 42nd season on Monday will hear the show’s announcer announce, “Ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show…” but Pat Sajak will not be among the names.
Instead, viewers of “America’s Game” can look forward to the highly anticipated debut of veteran television and radio host Ryan Seacrest, who has taken over the coveted role from Sajak, 77, who retired in June after four decades on the cult game show.
When is Ryan Seacrest’s debut on Wheel of Fortune?
Seacrest will be joined by co-host and longtime letter writer Vanna White when the syndicated Hangman-like show premieres nationwide on Monday. The show will air at 7:30 p.m. EST on ABC 7 New York, following the premiere of the 41st season of the quiz show Jeopardy!, hosted by Ken Jennings.
Big changes to ‘Wheel of Fortune’, but not to large
Before the show’s first taping in August, the studio audience went wild when the show unveiled a new set decorated with gold metal laminate and featuring 264 LED screens, reports USA TODAY, which spoke with Seacrest and White.
“It’s like renovating your house after 40 years,” White said, adding that it had been “just modernized a little bit.”
Fear not, fans of old-school “Wheel.” Seacrest says he has no plans to change the way the show is hosted, explaining he wanted to create a seamless transition that “won’t jar.”
“Nothing has to change. Just me standing there, with my voice and my gestures, that’s different enough,” Seacrest told USA TODAY. He told the outlet he practiced for months with simulated games and contestants.
Many other key components of the classic television show remain the same: Jim Thornton is still the “Wheel” announcer, vowels can still be purchased for $250, and the colorful wheel that the contestants spin is unchanged after 20 years and still makes a clicking sound.
White extended her contract for two years following Sajak’s retirement announcement in 2023, but there were rumors that she was considering leaving. She admitted to USA TODAY that she had a “tough decision” to make after Sajak’s departure and wondered whether to go with him, but ultimately decided she “wasn’t ready to retire yet.”
White received a raise and was discreetly outfitted with several inches of foam padding under the game’s puzzle board to cushion her feet when wearing heels, as well as a fancy new puzzle board.
In a segment on Good Morning America that aired September 3, White said that on the puzzle board, she “doesn’t even have to touch the letters – anyone.”
“It’s a blank screen with a video on it, right? There are lasers up there, so when I touch a letter, it senses the movement of my hand and lights up. Isn’t that crazy?” she told ABC News’ Ginger Zee.
Another small change? Sajak and White previously entered arm-in-arm from the side of the stage; Seacrest and White will now make a “grand” entrance behind sliding doors in the center of the stage, according to USA TODAY.
Pat Sajak posts on social media for the first time since leaving Wheel of Fortune
Sajak took to X (formerly Twitter) for the first time since his retirement in June to tell fans he is ready for “what’s next.”
“This is the last night of summer reruns, although cable and streaming services mean you never have to say goodbye,” Sajak posted Friday afternoon. “Looking forward to Season 5 of @celebritywof (Celebrity Wheel of Fortune) on @ABCNetwork this fall and what’s next.”
Sajak, he said in his post Friday, isn’t done with the wheel of fortune yet. He has signed a deal to host “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” which will premiere Oct. 14, according to ABC’s fall 2024-2025 primetime television schedule, released Aug. 30. The celebrity edition of the show will air at 8 p.m., with the Elizabeth Banks-hosted game show “Press Your Luck” following afterward.
Email: [email protected]; X (formerly Twitter): @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.
