It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that if you’ve watched any television in the past 30 years, chances are you’ve seen a program that featured Ryan Seacrest as the host.
From kids’ game shows to reality singing competitions to red carpets and everything in between, the 49-year-old has hosted it all and has rarely, if ever disappointed.
His latest gig will find him at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California where he will join Vanna White as co-host of Wheel of Fortune. Seacrest will attempt to fill the gigantic hole left by Pat Sajak who retired this summer after 41 years of hosting the iconic game show.
But is Ryan Seacrest the right fit or is he simply the safest bet when it comes to the need for a reliable host?
There’s no debate that Seacrest isn’t qualified for the job. His resume is extensive.
The 49-year-old began his career at ESPN in 1993 hosting Radical Outdoor Challenge. From there he hosted several kids’ game shows before graduating to NBC Saturday Night at the Movies.
In 2002, he accepted a co-host position on a brand new show, American Idol, and the following year he was given the opportunity to be the sole host. Not only did he host the ground-breaking show for all 20 seasons, but he received multiple Emmy Award nominations for his work.
Just three years into his American Idol hosting duties, Seacrest was tapped to help out with ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Since Clark’s limited speech and mobility issues prevented him from properly co-hosting, Seacrest took the reigns.
By 2009, the show had been renamed Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. And in 2021, after 17 years as host and executive producer, it was announced that Seacrest had signed a multi-year deal extension.
On top of his television gigs, Seacrest also hosts On Air with Ryan Seacrest a nationally-syndicated radio show with iHeart Media.
By now you’re probably thinking, what can’t this guy do?
Well, according to many X, formerly Twitter, users, it’s host Wheel of Fortune. And it pains me to say this, but I do have to agree… to a point.
When Wheel of Fortune hired Sajak to host the game they took a gamble. Prior to taking on the role he worked as a disc jockey and later a meteorologist for KNBC in Los Angeles. By the time he took over from Chuck Woolery, Sajak had some practice, having hosted two game show pilots, but his experience was nothing compared to Seacrest.
Perhaps that’s where the so-called issue lies.
Choosing Seacrest as the next Wheel of Fortune host is simply a safe choice. He’s nothing special – sorry! – and we already know he’s fully capable of hosting a variety of shows.
Take Jeopardy! for example.
After Alex Trebek’s death in 2021, a variety of guests began hosting the show before then-executive producer Mike Richards took over as permanent host. Within a week, Richards stepped down and former contestant Ken Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik took over as hosts.
Eventually Bialik, who had trouble connecting with fans, walked away from her position, and Jennings was left as the sole host of Jeopardy!. Some might say Jennings was an unconventional choice because of his lack of credentials, but choosing him involved the perfect amount of risk.
He was new to hosting a game show, but had a lot of experience playing the game. And so far things have worked out quite well for Jeopardy!
When it was first revealed Sajak would be leaving his post, many speculated White or even Sajak’s daughter Maggie Sajak would take over as host. As we would later learn that would not be the case.
Now there’s even rumors that White may not stick around.
Personally, I think either one would have been great and not just because it would be a breath of fresh air to see a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Rather than go with Seacrest, who has the chance of losing loyal viewers because he’s just your run-of-the-mill game show host, Wheel of Fortune should have taken notes from Jeopardy! and hired Vanna or Maggie.
One of the two would have been a smart gamble because while they both have a connection to the show, neither have an extensive history with hosting. Plus, fans wouldn’t have to worry about another Bialik situation.
Yes, Seacrest is a talented host. Yes, he has the accolades to prove it. And yes, there’s even the chance he’ll bring a new, younger audience to America’s game, but for the life of me I can’t see him hosting Wheel of Fortune every single night.
Or maybe it’s that I can’t see myself watching Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune five nights a week.
I’ll admit I’m probably not giving Ryan Seacrest a fair shot, so I’ll definitely be tuning into his first week as host of Wheel of Fortune to see how he does.
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author and do not reflect or represent Newsner.
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- Vanna White bids an emotional farewell to Pat Sajak ahead of his final show
