Ryan Seacrest will take over for Pat Sajak as the host of “Wheel of Fortune.”
The announcement, made by Seacrest on Instagram, came just two weeks after Sajak announced he was leaving after 41 seasons.
“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,” said Seacrest, who grew up in Dunwoody and graduated Dunwoody High School in 1992.
Seacrest’s name popped up as a candidate soon after Sajak’s announcement.
The Atlanta native has a similar personality to Sajak: pleasant, amiable, not obtrusive. His approach has worked well for his 21 seasons on “American Idol,” his syndicated radio show and ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
Seacrest recently stepped down as co-host of “Live” on ABC with Kelly Ripa after six seasons, giving him more time for another gig like this.
“Wheel of Fortune” remains one of the most popular game shows, drawing almost as many viewers as “Jeopardy.” This quick succession move is in sharp contrast to the elongated process the “Jeopardy” producers went through after Alex Trebek stepped down three years ago before picking a combo of Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik.
