There's truly no replacing Pat Sajak. Moreover, the chemistry between him and Vanna White is irreplaceable at this rate. They were television's best tag team since their Wheel of Fortune debut in 1983. Could she even come close to replicating any magic with the new guy in town Ryan Seacrest? It's a natural worry for viewers to have. Initially, White couldn't shake the concerns either.
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Recently, Vanna sat down for an interview on CBS Sunday Mornings. There, she reveals how she wasn't sure at first if she and Seacrest would hit it off on TV. Thankfully, she feels like their chemistry is on point to thrive in the new iteration of Wheel of Fortune.
"I think our chemistry is good, I had no idea what to expect when I'm used to one person for so long," White admits. "I was very scared, but he's doing a great job. I've known Ryan for probably 20 years. But in the past couple of months, we've done some traveling together for the show, and we got to know each other a little better, too."
Vanna White Prepares For New Era of Wheel of Fortune
Vanna needed to figure out what could work between her and Ryan Seacrest fast anyway. Not long ago, she signed a contract extension to keep her on board through the 2025-26 season. Replacing White will inevitably be a tall, difficult task that I'm not sure executives are ready to tackle. For now, she'll steady the ship with the show's newcomer.
Regardless, Ryan Seacrest remains ecstatic to take over hosting duties on one of TV's most iconic shows.
"I'm truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it's been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them," he writes in a statement. "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."
