Did Pat Sajak predict Ryan Seacrest would host ‘Wheel’ in resurfaced video?
It’s a blast from the past!
On Tuesday, it was announced that Ryan Seacrest, 48, would be taking over hosting duties on “Wheel of Fortune” amid Pat Sajak’s retirement.
In a resurfaced clip from 2012, Pat Sajak, 76, seemed to predict that Ryan Seacrest would be taking over his job one day after he made a mistake over a consonant during an old episode.
“Seacrest is on speed dial,” he joked in the clip, which was posted by the user @wheelrob10.
He was met with some laughter after he made the remark.
The Post reached out to reps for Sajak for comment.
Sajak, who has been a staple on the show since 1981, announced his retirement on Twitter earlier this month.
He will be exiting the show after this coming season 41, which is expected to begin airing in September.
“Well, the time has come,” he wrote in a message on the social media platform. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”
Seacrest will be Sajak’s successor, a role that he said he was “truly humbled” to be stepping into.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement on Tuesday. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
In his statement, he also noted that he was looking forward to learning more from Sajak during the transition and that he “admired” the way that he made viewers at home “feel at ease.”
Seacrest also said that he was looking forward to working with Vanna White.
“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,” he shared.
However, it’s unclear what exactly White’s current status on the gameshow is right now, as reports have circulated that she allegedly lawyered up and is bargaining for a raise — something that she hasn’t had in 18 years.
According to Puck News, White, 66, has been rumored to have retained the counsel of Bryan Freedman, who has represented a number of Hollywood stars during turmoil with their TV networks.
Freedman once represented the short-lived “Jeopardy!” host Mike Richards, who left the show in August 2021 after he faced controversy regarding sexist language and lawsuits.
White has allegedly been making around $3 million a year since 2005 and has received only bonuses instead of raises during that time period, according to the outlet.
Sajak made a reported $15 million per year, according to a 2016 story in Forbes.
The report came just days after a source claimed to the Daily Mail that White was worried she could be let go from the show amid the change.
“The next year is going to be quite the ride and Vanna wants to be a part of it all even after he leaves, and she hopes they don’t force her out,” a source close to White alleged to the outlet.
However, the source did note that she had no interest in leaving the show.
The insider claimed that White “would like to be a part of the selection process for Pat’s replacement because if it is up to her, she is in it forever.”
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