It’s official.
Ryan Seacrest will be the new face of Wheel of Fortune, taking over from Pat Sajak.
The news comes just weeks after Sajak revealed he would be stepping away from the iconic series.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement.
“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,” the American Idol host shared.
“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.”
“Many people probably don’t know this but one of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merv Griffin 25 years ago so this is truly a full circle moment for me and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity,” Seacrest, who will also serve as a consulting producer shared.
“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
“We are ecstatic to have Ryan as the next host of Wheel of Fortune,” said Ravi Ahuja, chairman of global television studios at Sony Pictures.
“Ryan loves Wheel as much as we do and is the perfect person to continue the show’s four-decade success into the future.”
While Seacrest can’t wait to work with White on the series, there is a big question mark over her role on the show.
Recent reports have suggested that Sony Pictures were thinking of ending her lengthy tenure on the series, but Deadline notes that she is renegotiating her contract to stay on the show.
As a result, we may not get a definite answer for months about her involvement.
Sajak broke the news on June 12 that he would be giving up his post on the show.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak said in a statement at the time.
“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 is a seasoned TV veteran, and reports emerged quickly that he was circling the job.
Sajak will remain on the show for one more season before handing over the baton to Seacrest the following season.
It’s unclear whether Sajak will remain on the primetime iterations of the series.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.