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After 41 years on the beloved game show Wheel of Fortune, host Pat Sajak is headed toward retirement with Ryan Seacrest selected as his replacement.
The announcement came Tuesday from Sony and adds to the already long list of jobs Seacrest has.
Sajak announced his retirement earlier this month with the next season of the show being his last. Co-host Vanna White will remain part of the show. In addition to taking on the role of host, Seacrest will also be named a consulting producer according to the New York Post.
Seacrest expressed his excitement over the opportunity in a statement released via Twitter.
“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,” he wrote.
“Making us smile every night and feel right at home with them. Pat, I love the way you’ve
Seacrest said the new job would be a full circle moment for his career.
“I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition. Many people probably don’t know this but one of my first jobs was hosting a little game show called Click for Merv Griffin 25 years ago so this is truly a full circle moment for me and I’m grateful to Sony for the opportunity. I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,” he said.