In an announcement that shook the game show world, Pat Sajak has announced that he is going to retire as host of Wheel of Fortune at the end of the upcoming season of the long-running game show, which will happen sometime in spring 2024.
While his official exit is still a ways off, the conversation of who will be the next Wheel of Fortune host is going to be non-stop between now and whenever they announce one. Sajak himself commented on that fact in his goodbye message. We hope that this article offers a bit more than just clickbait for you, as we're going to keep it updated with new reports on just who may be stepping behind the wheel of the nightly game show.
As Sajak prepares to exit and following the passing of Alex Trebek in 2020, it is certainly a new era for game shows. So, who will take over the Wheel of Fortune mantle and be a part of our nightly lineup alongside new Jeopardy! hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik. Here's what we’re hearing and some of our own thoughts.
Vanna White
Is Vanna White going to step away from the big board and behind the wheel as the next host of Wheel of Fortune? White and Sajak have been the iconic duo of the show for the last 40 years, so it's possible that as Sajak rides off into the sunset, so does White. However, if she decides to stick around, it would be a nice bit of continuity for fans to see White take over as host. It's not like she hasn't stepped up before. When Sajak underwent surgery in 2019, White filled in for a number of tapings. — Michael Balderston
Ryan Seacrest
Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw was among the first to report Sajak would be retiring as the Wheel of Fortune host and just a little bit later followed it up with the nugget that Ryan Seacrest was an early candidate to replace the long-time host, saying he has been in contact with producers. It wasn't confirmed if Seacrest is the front-runner for the job or one of many names under consideration. Seacrest certainly has the resume though, having hosted American Idol since it first aired, to hosting ABC's New Year's Eve broadcast and, until recently, Live with Kelly and Ryan. — Michael Balderston
One candidate to replace Pat Sajak?@RyanSeacrest. The host has been talking to the producers of Wheel of Fortune.Some sources say he's the frontrunner. Others say he is just one of many interested. https://t.co/dCiKZ2Ch0sJune 13, 2023
Maggie Sajak
Another option if Wheel of Fortune wants to keep things in the family is Maggie Sajak (quite literally in the family). The daughter of Pat Sajak, Maggie took over board duties while Vanna White hosted as Pat recovered from surgery. She has been an official employee of the show since 2021 as a social correspondent, providing exclusive digital content including things going on backstage, interviews with contestants, celebrities, staff and crew and more. — Michael Balderston
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg has made her interest known to be the next host of Wheel of Fortune. Discussing Sajak's exit on the June 13 episode of The View, Joy Behart piped up that her co-host Goldberg wanted to take over the job, which Goldberg confirmed, saying "I want that job. I think it would be tons of fun." Beyond The View, Goldberg is an Oscar-winning actress and comedian who has some experience with game shows; everybody remembers Hollywood Squares? — Michael Balderston
Wayne Brady
Actor and comedian Wayne Brady is probably best known for his time as one of the featured performers on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but he is already in the game show business, serving as the host of Let's Make a Deal, which currently airs on daytime TV. Could Brady make the move to primetime as the next host of Wheel of Fortune? He's certainly a popular entertainer, so you'd be hard-pressed to find many who would complain about the pick. — Michael Balderston
Terry Crews
Wheel of Fortune needs to find a way to pull Terry Crews away from America’s Got Talent. Hosting WoF requires a delicate balance of joviality, self-deprecating humor and encouragement (let's face it, it wouldn’t be easy to stand there as someone has “A STREETCAR NA-ED DESIRE” on the board and chooses a K!) Crews knows how to make people laugh, he can calm contestants down when they need to take a breath and he knows how to keep a show moving. He's got the comedy chops and the hosting experience, making him a natural potential replacement for Sajak. — Sarabeth Pollock
Jane Lynch
While Lynch gets to use her razor-sharp wit as the current host of The Weakest Link on NBC, we know that she can be the kind of jovial host that Wheel of Fortune has had throughout its run with Sajak if called upon. In fact, she already is an Emmy-winning game show host, winning two trophies for hosting Hollywood Game Night. So aside from Seacrest, there may not be a more prestigious replacement for Sajak than Lynch. — Michael Balderston
James Holzhauer
Ok, this pick might seem strange but there's actually some history at play here. Back in the day, long before Pat Sajak hosted Wheel of Fortune, Chuck Woolery of The Dating Game fame was the host of the puzzle show. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are both Merv Griffin creations, so when Woolery was gone for a week it was Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek who stepped in to replace him. Given this history between shows, it would be fun to give Jeopardy! legend and "game show villain" James Holzhauer a shot at hosting. We know he has a sense of humor and he'd bring a fun vibe to WoF while keeping things in the family. Plus, he has even more game show experience as part of The Chase. — Sarabeth Pollock
Mayim Bialik
Piggybacking off the long-running history of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, if not Holzhauer, could one of Jeopardy!'s two current hosts be the replacement for Sajak? If we had to bet which, the likely candidate would be Mayim Bialik — Ken Jennings seems to handle daily episodes of Jeopardy! with more frequency and was an absolute pro hosting the marquee Jeopardy! Masters tournament. After splitting duties, Bialik could finally have a game show of her own (something she may be interested in after her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat was canceled). — Michael Balderston
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler may not seem like the immediate choice to replace Sajak, given she's an Emmy-award-winning comedian better known for her scripted work in shows like Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation. However, as of late, she's garnering quite the reputation for her work in the hosting space. She currently serves as co-host on the popular competition series Baking It and she's both an executive producer and narrator on the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Both series have given her opportunities to gain experience hosting. On a side note, Poehler once starred in an SNL skit based on the game show. — Terrell Smith
