Wheel of Fortune: Ryan Seacrest Officially Begins Filming as New Host

Just over a year after being named Pat Sajak’s successor, incoming Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest started production on episodes of the beloved syndicated game show yesterday. Sharing an Instagram Reel from behind the scenes of the series, Seacrest gave fans a look inside of his first day behind the wheel,  which Seacrest spun while there were no audience members or contestants around. Additionally, the host toured a backstage area that serves as a kind of Wheel of Fortune museum, featuring wardrobe, props, a wall-mounted TV running old clips, and plaques from the Guinness Book of World Records.

Seacrest, an entertainment industry Jack of all trades, has a decades-long career with roles that include daytime talk show host, competition series host, red carpet interviewer, radio host and New Year’s Eve master of ceremonies. He’ll take over from the retiring Pat Sajak, but longtime co-host Vanna White will still be around.

Sajak and his cohost Vanna White had been with the series since the early 1980s, with former Los Angeles weatherman Sajak taking over from original series host Chuck Woolery in 1981, and White joining in 1982.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said when he landed the job. “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. Pat, 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.”

Seacrest added in his statement that one of his first jobs was hosting a game show called Click, and that he can’t wait to bring that hosting experience full circle on the biggest possible stage. He said that he “can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”

Seacrest hosted Gladiators 2000, an American Gladiators spinoff, from 1994 until 1996, and became a household name in the early 2000s as a co-host of American Idol. After a decade there, he expanded his career, becoming the host of Live With Kelly & Ryan in 2017. In between, he took over from TV legend Dick Clark as the host of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. One of the most recognizable broadcaster in North America, Seacrest has also been part of NBC’s Olympics coverage and helped beloved newsman Larry King end his show.