Ryan Seacrest snubs Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune season premiere as new host wasn’t star’s choice to replace him

RYAN Seacrest failed to name Pat Sajak in his first comments after taking over as Wheel of Fortune’s host.

Ryan, 49, finally appeared as presenter of the beloved game show alongside Vanna White, after weeks of anticipation, on Monday night, September 9.

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Ryan Seacrest makes his debut as host of Wheel of Fortune on Monday, September 9Credit: Wheel of Fortune

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Legendary former Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak in an earlier episode of the beloved game showCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Ryan Seacrest takes over as Wheel of Fortune co-host, alongside Vanna White, during the Season 42 premiere on Monday, September 9Credit: Wheel of Fortune

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Ryan Seacrest thanks viewers for a ‘very warm welcome’ during the Season 42 premiereCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Vanna White returns to the show as she stands by the new puzzle board during Monday’s episodeCredit: Wheel of Fortune
In his opening address, Ryan did not mention Pat, 77, who stepped down as WoF’s host last June, after a run that lasted over 40 years.

During Monday night’s episode, Ryan walked on to the brand new WoF set with Vanna, as Jim Thornton announced his debut.

“And now together for the first time, here are the stars of our show, Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White,” he said, during the season 42 premiere.

BIG BLUNDER?

As Vanna stood by the puzzle board, Ryan addressed the audience by saying, “I still can’t believe my luck of being here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you.

“And of course, my good friend Vanna White,” he continued, before thanking the show’s fans for a “very warm welcome.”

During his monologue, Ryan described hosting WoF as “a dream job”, adding, “I’ve been a fan of this show since I was a kid watching it in Atlanta with my family.

“And I just know how special it is that ‘Wheel’ has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years,” the American Idol star said. “And I’m just so grateful to be invited in.”

While noting that he had “some very big shoes to fill,” Ryan didn’t acknowledge Pat by his name, before he concluded, “So, let’s play WoF.”

Some viewers expressed their disappointment on the show’s Instagram account, with one person calling Ryan’s opening address a “slap in the face” under a clip of the monologue.

“That’s all he could say he has big shoes to fill?” they wrote. “Couldn’t mention Pat’s name and thank him for all the years making wheel what it is? That’s a slap in the face.”

Wheel of Fortune season premiere divides fans as ‘hideous’ set gets more backlash than ‘boring’ Ryan Seacrest
However, others defended Ryan for “tastefully” paying tribute to the legendary presenter.

“Pat doesn’t need another Pat on the Say-Jack!” another person replied to the comment. “Ryan didn’t overlook it, he did just right!

“Everyone knew whose “big shoes” he was referring. I thought it was tastefully done without overdoing it! No doubt in my mind Ryan ran that thought past those closest!” they added.

Pat, who bid his final goodbye to fans n September 6, did not mention Ryan’s debut in the statement shared on X.

Ryan previously paid tribute to Pat, after it was announced he would be taking over the reins at WoF in June 2023.

He said, “I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak.

“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,” he continued.

RYAN’S WoF ERA

Ryan’s perceived snub comes after The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed he “wasn’t Pat’s choice to replace him” as the host of WoF.

Ryan Seacrest’s Current Jobs

Ryan Seacrest is quite the workaholic, with the Hollywood multiphenate juggling perhaps more ongoing jobs than any other A-lister:

-Host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC
-Host of American Top 40 on KIIS-FM
-Host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM
-Host of American Idol since its very first season in 2001
-Host of Wheel of Fortune as of 2024

Ryan has exited many previous roles in the past few years to get where he is today, including as an executive producer of Hulu’s The Kardashians and co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark.

Hard work pays off; according to Celebrity Net Worth, Ryan’s worth a fortune of $450 million

A studio source said, “Ryan wasn’t Pat’s choice to replace him and Pat deliberately stayed out of that process.

“Ryan was extremely smart when he took the job to be utterly respectful to Pat at every turn,” they continued. “Ryan did not want there to be even an ounce of tension between them.

“Ryan acts like he has Pat’s support and for now, that helps him [Ryan] enjoy this honeymoon period, where the fans are going to decide if he’s a good fit for the show.”

“But it could certainly be a different story a year from now, especially if there’s erosion in the ratings,” the Sony source added.

‘AWFUL’ SET

Last night’s episode of Wheel of Fortune marked the beginning of Ryan’s era, but the season premiere drew mixed reactions from fans on social media.

One of the biggest complaints they had was that WoF’s newly-revamped set was too busy and, ultimately, a distraction from the game.

“This new set is going to take more getting used to than Ryan. everything is so computer generated and bright,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Not impressed with the new wheel of fortune set,” another shared.

“The new set hurts my eyes,” a third personj stated.

“Why does the new set look like some old-fashioned clock factory with animated mice crawling around,” another comment read.

“Ryan did great!” one fan began, before adding, “Bring the traditional set back, or one that isn’t so distracting/painful to the eyes. (I realize I sound old lol).”

“He did great! But that set is dizzying and distracting and just awful,” a similar comment was posted on the show’s Instagram page.

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Wheel of Fortune kicks off Season 42 with new host Ryan Seacrest in premiere episode that was aired on Monday, September 9Credit: ABC

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Ryan Seacrest with Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White during a promotional shoot for Season 42Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk

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Outgoing host Pat Sajak poses with Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White on the Wheel of Fortune setCredit: instagram/abc7george

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Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest strike a pose during a photo shoot for Wheel of Fortun, ahead of the Season 42 premiereCredit: Instagram/wheeloffortune

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Wheel of Fortune gave fans a first glimpse of the newly-revamped puzzle board in a promotional stillCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Former host Pat Sajak with his presenting partner of over 40 years, Vanna WhiteCredit: Getty