Seacrest is ready to spin.
Pat Sajak has officially handed off “Wheel of Fortune” to Ryan Seacrest in a new promo. The famed host’s final episode of the iconic game show aired on June 7.
“Well, this is it, Ryan. What do you think?” Sajak, 77, says in the clip as he gives Seacrest, 49, a tour of the studio with Vanna White.
“Impressive, Pat,” Seacrest replies.
“Ryan, I know the contestants are going to love you,” White, 67, chimes in.
As Sajak announced his retirement in June 2023, White extended her contract through the 2025-26 season. Sajak said farewell during the Season 41 finale last week, and Seacrest and White will return in the fall for Season 42.
Sajak — often known for his dry snark and calling out contestants — was more emotional when he said goodbye to the loyal audience and the show’s crew in a farewell message.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said on-air. “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 privilege came with the 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.”
“Kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together along with friends and neighbors, and entire generations,” he added. “What an honor to play even a small part in all of that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
He also thanked his “professional other half,” White. “She takes the show very seriously but not herself. I shudder to think what these 40-plus years might have been like had they brought someone in all full of themselves playing the prima donna role. Vanna is as sweet and unassuming as she seems.”
The pair worked together for more than four decades, and always insisted their relationship was platonic despite romance rumors along the way.
“We’ve seen a lot of changes in each other’s lives over the years but we’ve always been there for each other,” Sajak concluded. “While I will very much miss working with her, I take solace in the fact that we live about five miles apart. So we’ll see plenty of each other. She’s a very special woman and I know you’re all pleased she’ll be back next season.”
White, for her part, called Sajak her “brother” in a sweet send-off video of her own prior to his final day on set.
Sajak became the longest-serving game show host in 2019, surpassing Bob Barker’s “The Price Is Right” 35-year tenure. Sajak will continue to serve as a show consultant, but is already looking ahead to his next opportunity. He will next star in the mystery-themed play “Prescription: Murder,” which will run in Hawaii in 2025.
Sajak will play a psychiatrist who hatches a murder plot. Sajak’s friend, local KHON newscaster Joe Moore, will play the lead detective.
