Sheesh! It is being reported that Ryan Seacrest could possibly make $28 million if he takes over ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ for its legendary host Pat Sajak.
RELATED: ‘Wheel Of Fortune Host Pat Sajak Announces He Will Retire After 40 Years
Earlier this month, we learned that after 40 years of hosting the syndicated and entertaining game show, ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat Sajak announced he had plans to step down in 2024.
Taking to his official Twitter account, the 76-year-old TV host wrote, “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!).”
Following the tweet, Suzanne Prete, the Executive Vice President of game shows for SOny Pictures Television, also spoke out. She said, “As the host of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years. We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season. Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ family.”
Sajak has been hosting the iconic game show since 1981 and he previously hinted at being ready to retire. Back in 2022, Sajak told Entertainment Tonight, “Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near.”
Sajak has also been a truly dedicated host as he has never missed a day of taping, up until he had a health scare in November 2019. At the time, he told ABC News that he was experiencing “horrific pain” in his stomach, and ended up having emergency surgery for a blocked intestine.
Even with his medical emergency, Sajak said, “I’ve gotta do this until — you know — I’m doddering. I think I still do it at a high level. But you know, I can’t do it another 40 years, I know that, because I’d be 110, and that would be a record.”
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Since the news of Sajak officially gearing up for retirement next year, the race has been on to find the next best host for the game show. While Whoopi Goldberg has entered her own name into the hat — claiming she “wants the job as it could be lots of fun” — Ryan Seacrest has also been name dropped for the open position.
A couple days after Sajak’s retirement announcement, reports surfaced of the former ‘Live! With Kelly and Ryan‘ host potentially taking over for him. It was reported that Seacrest is just one of a handful of candidates that Sony is considering; however, the other names remain unknown.
It was also reported that Seacrest might have a leg up in the race as he is a longtime friend of Merv Griffin, who is the creator of ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Shortly after, Seacrest received some support from Mark Consuelos, who thinks he’ll be the perfect person to take over for Sajak.
The husband of Seacrest’s former co-host, Kelly Ripa, and also the man who replaced him on ‘Live!,’ said, “I think [Ryan] would be great and that’s a great job for him.Although I’ve never really discussed it with him if that’s something he wanted to do. [Ryan] is always on the move, he’s always somewhere; but we do stay in touch by text and I can’t wait to see him soon.”
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Weeks later, it is now being reported that if 48-year-old Ryan Seacrest takes over for Pat Sajak at ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ he is possibly looking at a $28 million payday, which would make him the highest-paid person on television.
Apparently, along with Seacrest’s ‘American Idol‘ hosting duties, where he rakes in $12 million a year, plus all of his other producing ventures, the media mogul could potentially take on the title of richest man in television, stealing it from Dr. Phil McGraw.
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