Despite The Hate, Ryan Seacrest Is A Step Up From Pat Sajak As Wheel Of Fortune's Next Host
It's official — Ryan Seacrest is taking over as host for "Wheel of Fortune" and fans are none too pleased. "Can't they give anyone else a job. Enough Ryan Seacrest already," one tweeted. "There has to be some other inoffensive, boring white guy that could do this job instead," another mused. While it's true that Seacrest does bear an uncanny resemblance to Pat Sajak circa 30 years ago, we think the "American Idol" host is actually going to be a refreshing addition to "Wheel of Fortune" — and even a step up.
Personally, we would love to see Vanna White take over as host and have a dashing man in a tuxedo be the new letter toucher. However, since "Wheel of Fortune" is a non-controversial, family-friendly show, we're sure they don't want to change the status quo too much. Seacrest is an obvious choice, having extensive television experience. It's hard to even keep track of the many shows he's attached to. As the host of "American Idol," "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest," and formerly of "Live with Kelly and Ryan," does he even need another job? Well, it's clear he loves what he does, and stepping into the tired shoes of Pat Sajak might just give "Wheel of Fortune" a fresh, new perspective.
Ryan Seacrest will bring new energy to Wheel of Fortune
"Wheel of Fortune" may be family-friendly, but Pat Sajak has sparked much controversy over the years on and off the show. In 2016, he tweeted, "I now believe global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends. Good night," per CBS. He later said he was "joking" but some of his jokes have been pretty off-color to downright rude. Sajak once made fun of a contestant's speech impediment on the show and told another player that his story about his toe being cut off was "the most pointless story ever told." Perhaps his decades-long years on "Wheel of Fortune" has made Sajak tired and a bit grumpy.
With Ryan Seacrest's vast hosting and interviewing skills, we think he'll have the grace and finesse to handle being the new host of "Wheel of Fortune." He just celebrated his 19th anniversary hosting "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" and he clearly loves what he does. While on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," he revealed that he was asked to be one of the judges on "American Idol" but auditioned to be the host instead. "See, the problem is, I'm like on auto-host all the time, so I don't know if I'd be able to sit behind the desk and just give feedback," he shared. Meanwhile, Sajak just works four days out of the month, according to Outkick. Hey, if you don't use it, you lose it and Seacrest is definitely using his skills.
Ryan Seacrest can make Wheel of Fortune cool for a younger audience
Pat Sajak has been the host of "Wheel of Fortune" since 1981 and his fanbase has naturally followed him over the years. According to The Daily News, the demographic for "Wheel of Fortune" is 65 years and up. That means many of the younger generations aren't interested in watching the fun letter-spinning show — and we think that's tragic. What better way to spend some fun family time than to curl up on the couch with your loved ones each weekday evening and guess the word puzzles on the big, lit-up board? With Ryan Seacrest as host, he'll draw in younger viewers who already know and love him for "American Idol" and "E! News."
Even though fans slam him as a "vanilla choice," Seacrest has the Middle America likeability so as not to rock the "Wheel of Fortune" boat too much. Remember, it took them 27 years to update their letter board to a modern LED one. Seacrest has the personality and experience to be ready with a witty comment on the fly, unlike Mayim Bialik, who is flailing as the new host of "Jeopardy." Although he's at risk for overexposure, Ryan Seacrest is becoming ubiquitous with television and we think he's a great choice for revamping "Wheel of Fortune."