Ryan Seacrest officially took over for Pat Sajak as host of Wheel of Fortune last week. Sadly, he struggled to win over fans right in his first episode. Indeed, he turned off viewers by never mentioning Pat by name.
Now, rumors are swirling that the situation has deteriorated to the point where insiders with the game show are claiming that Vanna White, 67, is prepared to take over as host if Ryan, 49, doesn’t turn things around soon.
‘Very Stressful Time For Ryan’
It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to take over for a legend in their field, but that’s exactly what Seacrest is attempting.
“This is a very stressful time for Ryan,” said one Wheel of Fortune insider. “He’s in the seat now! Ryan’s trying to sugarcoat this and say it’s good news, that the only way is up since Pat’s ratings are down. But the bosses are worried it’s a free-fall that might not be automatically reversible just by hiring a new host.”
Ratings have reportedly dipped in the wake of Ryan taking over as host. That’s why producers are allegedly figuring out a backup plan.
“The stakes are very high and Ryan’s under enormous pressure to deliver on the massive salary they’re paying him, not to mention the huge money they invested in giving Vanna her raise,” the source continued. “If the ratings don’t come back up, Ryan knows he’ll be the scapegoat, so it’s incredibly stressful.”
That may sound unfair to Seacrest, but the show isn’t for him. It’s for the viewers, and their wants.
If Ryan doesn’t succeed in boosting the ratings, it might just be Vanna’s moment to shine.
“Vanna’s in the catbird seat,” the insider added. “She can just stand back and see how Ryan gets on. Even if that’s not her intention, she can certainly be the one to benefit from this in a big way because she’d be the next obvious replacement. Everyone knows there’s no one the fans would rather see take over from Ryan — she’d be a slam dunk!”
Vanna Fights For Raise
Vanna spent much of last year fighting for a major raise. This came after it was revealed that she had not been given a raise on Wheel of Fortune for 18 years.
Vanna succeeded in obtaining the raise. However, reports claimed at the time that producers want this to be her last contract. After it expires in 2026, they allegedly wanted to replace her as well.
“Wheel wants to make the transition between Pat and Ryan seamless and having Vanna there would be wonderful to make that all happen,” another insider told Daily Mail last year.
It seems that now that Seacrest is bombing, however, producers may be changing their tune about Vanna. Instead of getting the sack, she may just find herself as the main host of the entire show!
Seacrest Defended
Meanwhile, a separate source close to Ryan defended him for not mentioning Pat by name in his first show.
“Ryan is not used to taking over as a host for anything,” the insider told The Mail. “He is used to starting ventures so for him to do this is new.”
“He has spent months and months honoring Pat,” the source continued. “But Pat is gone, and Ryan is taking the show and the audience in a new direction. Pat didn’t wish him luck publicly.”
The insider went on to say that Ryan wants to take Wheel of Fortune in a “new direction” now that Pat is gone.
‘”Ryan was contemplating jokingly saying ‘Sajak out’ on the episode, but he decided against it. This is now his show with his viewers,” the source explained. “Pat knows he is grateful for this opportunity. But even so, Pat was not the one who hired Ryan.”
Ryan has clearly not had the smooth start on Wheel of Fortune that he was hoping for. Only time will tell if he is able to turn this around!