Ryan Seacrest still recalls the sensation of his family gathered around the Panasonic TV at 7 p.m. to watch Wheel of Fortune, as he was just tall enough to reach the "on" switch.
“At that time of night my dad was always home from work. My sister was there, my mother too. And that was the show that made everything seem okay. It was like comfort food. I just loved the fact that it was all about people having a good time, forgetting about the stress of life and winning real cash and real prizes,” he stated, PEOPLE Magazine reported.
Since his début in the inaugural season of "American Idol" in 2002, Seacrest, 49, has established himself as a fixture in living rooms throughout the United States. He has held the position of host for 23 seasons.
He has been the voice of "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" and "American Top 40" since 2004, and he is equally at ease heading Dick Clark's prime-time New Year's Eve celebration as he is in a morning talk show with Kelly Ripa. Additionally, he established himself as an executive producer for programs such as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
Seacrest will now be the first presenter of “Wheel of Fortune” since Pat Sajak announced his retirement in June 2023, when the show's 42nd season premieres on Sept. 9, USA Today reported.
“Pat makes it look so fun and clever and quick. No one can be Pat. I can just be me, but I come in with a very grand amount of respect revering what he and [cohost] Vanna White accomplished,” Seacrest stated.
In order to prepare, he has been studying the rule book, literally, since he was hired last summer. He even traveled with a constructed wheel to practice before filming began in May. “It was magical to see the set for the first time. The sound of the wheel, the puzzle board, the letters, It’s so iconic. And the wheel is very heavy,” he stated.
Seacrest and his younger sister, Meredith, would frequently engage in "make-believe" games, and his preferred universe was one in which he was hosting. Seacrest was born and reared in Atlanta, the son of Gary, a lawyer, and Constance, a homemaker.
“I was pretending to be a new anchor and videotaping it on VHS. It happened with Dick Clark. It happened with Casey Kasem, who hosted the American Top 40 before I did. I really pretended to be those people in a way that might’ve frightened them if they were to see how focused I was on it at that age. But I was very clear in believing that would be something that I’d like to do,” Seacrest stated.
White, Wheel of Fortune's iconic letter-turner and his companion of over two decades, is unsurprised by Seacrest's inherent talent. “He’s professional, he’s kind, he’s hardworking. It’s a hard job. Pat made it look so easy, and Ryan is stepping right in,” she said. “We’ve really had a lot of fun together so far,” Seacrest added.
While the new season seems to be spinning all things Seacrest, the star prefers to focus on anyone but himself.” [Sajak] says the best part will be meeting the contestants every night. I think with all the shows that I do, it’s about setting someone else up for success and not being the center of attention or the one that needs to say the most. I’m probably the one that says, at times, the least, “he reasons. “I feel ready.”
