On Monday, that the upcoming 41st season of the long-running game show will be his last. That season is expected to begin in September as part of the 2023-2024 and Season 40 just concluded last Friday after 190 episodes. Sajak announced his retirement on Twitter, noting that “the time has come” and that it’s “been a wonderful ride”. Sajak promised that he’d have more to say in the coming months, but with the end of the host’s time on the iconic series drawing to a close, many are already starting to ask who might step up to fill his shoes.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The idea of Sajak leaving Wheel of Fortune isn’t exactly a new one. He actually floated the idea last September, noting at the time that he felt like his time was starting to draw near, and because of that fans have been considering for some time who might make a suitable replacement for Sajak, who first joined the game show in 1981, just six years after its debut. As a result, there have been a few names that have already popped up on social media among fans — popular suggestions have been Vanna White who has turned letters on the show for years as well as Sajak’s own daughter Maggie who serves as the show’s “Social Correspondent. It’s also been reported that Ryan Seacrest is a front runner to replace Sajak, but there are other potential contenders as well.
We’ve come up with a list of people we think might make a solid replacement for Sajak when he retires from Wheel of Fortune after Season 41. You can check out our list below and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Jeff Foxworthy
While Jeff Foxworthy is best known for his comedy and may seem like an unusual choice to host Wheel of Fortune, Foxworthy does have game show experience. he’s previously hosted Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and while he is famous for his “you might be a redneck” jokes, the generally family-friendly Foxworthy could make a nice fit for the game.
Guy Fieri
Maybe what Wheel of Fortune needs is a trip to Flavortown. The famous chef and personality would certainly bring a lot of spice to Wheel of Fortune and he has game show cred, too. He served as the host for NBC’s Minute to Win It for two seasons as well as the culinary game show, Guy’s Ultimate Game Night on Food Network.
Snoop Dogg
We love a good redemption arc and we think letting Snoop Dogg host Wheel of Fortune would be the ultimate one. Snoop’s disastrous appearance on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune has been a viral favorite — he erroneously guessed “baking onions” on a puzzle that was correctly “baking brownies” and that was just one of his mistakes. Letting Snoop host would give him a chance to make good but would also be hilarious and we’d tune in for that.
Leslie Jones
If you saw ABC’s Supermarket Sweep then you know exactly why Leslie Jones is on our list of contenders for the new host of Wheel of Fortune. Wilson is funny, engaging, and her interactions with contestants could be television gold. Her take on Wheel is one we’d definitely love to see.
Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady has an extensive history as a television game show host, most notably Let’s Make A Deal. He feels like a natural fit for Wheel of Fortune.
LeVar Burton
Following the death of Alex Trebek, many hoped that LeVar Burton would become the new host of Jeopardy! He was perhaps the most popular fan choice for the role and a beloved figure all around, thanks in no small part to his time as host of Reading Rainbow. While that didn’t pan out, Burton could be a brilliant choice for Wheel of Fortune, one that fans would happily tune in to watch.
Awkwafina
If we’re going to have some fun with our “fan cast” for who we think could make a good Wheel of Fortune host after Sajak steps down, we have to include Awkwafina to the list. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Nora From Queens star would not only bring a lot of humor to the iconic game show, but she’d be a fresh choice for a younger audience as well.
