Maggie Sajak Talks Ryan Seacrest as ‘Awesome’ New ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host and ‘Aunt Vanna’ White (Exclusive)
Pat Sajak’s daughter, Maggie Sajak, thinks Ryan Seacrest is “great” and “so professional” as the new host of Wheel of Fortune.
“I’m sure you would assume but he really appreciates the show and knows how important it is,” Maggie, 29, exclusively told Us Weekly at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on Saturday, September 21. “You can really tell by how prepared he is and how he treats the contestants and how he treats the whole experience.”
Maggie Sajak, Ryan Seacrest. CBS (2)
Seacrest, 49, was announced as the new host in June 2023, replacing Sajak, 77, which ended his legendary four-decade-long run as host on the popular game show. While Seacrest made his debut on the flagship show earlier this month, Sajak is set to return to host his final season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which premieres Monday, October 7.
Maggie, for her part, has followed in her dad’s footsteps and worked on the team at Wheel of Fortune as the official social correspondent since 2021. Because of her long connection to the show and the cast involved, she said cohost Vanna White, who remains on the show, is part of her family. (Pat shares Maggie and son Patrick, 34, with wife Lesly Brown.)
Ryan Seacrest. David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
“Jokingly, we say she’s Aunt Vanna, but I really have known her since before I was born,” Maggie told Us. “She’s great, I love being able to see her now at work. We have a lot of fun, I pull her into TikToks I’m doing and things like that, so she’s the best.”
Maggie continued, “She really is such an icon, such a legend and such a great person too. She’s as sweet as she seems.”
The social correspondent gushed to Us about what it was like growing up on set.
“It’s such a special show to so many people and it’s more than just a show, which sounds maybe kinda cheesy, but it really is. I mean, this is bonding among generations. This is the time that families eat dinner together. I mean, it’s really special,” she explained. “When people have come up to my dad or told me how special the show is to them, it goes beyond just ‘I love that show’ and to be a part of it now is really meaningful to me.”
Maggie and her family were protective over Wheel of Fortune and how it would move forward following Pat’s departure, but she feels “it is in great hands so we’re excited to see where it goes.”
New episodes of Wheel of Fortune airs weekdays. Check your local listings.
Reporting by Christine Maddela
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