Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White Was ‘Very Scared’ About Ryan Seacrest Taking Over for Pat Sajak

Longtime Wheel of Fortune star Vanna White admitted she was worried about her chemistry with new host Ryan Seacrest following Pat Sajak’s exit.

“I had no idea what to expect when I’m used to one person for so long,” Vanna, 67, said during the Sunday, September 1, episode of CBS Sunday Mornings about working with Ryan, 49. “I was very scared, but he’s doing a great job.”

She then explained that she met Ryan “probably 20 years” ago, though they have gotten closer after he was announced as Pat’s replacement on the game show in June 2023.

“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, so I think our chemistry is good,” Vanna continued.

Pat, 77, revealed his decision to step away from the show after more than 40 years as the host. “Well, the time has come,” he announced in a statement at the time. “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.”

That same month, Sony Pictures Television announced that the American Idol host would take over Pat’s job in 2024. While Pat remained on the show until the June 7 episode, Ryan’s first episode is scheduled to air on Monday, September 9.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Ryan said at the time of his casting announcement. “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. 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.”

Vanna admitted she was hesitant about working with Ryan more than one month after an insider exclusively told Closer that she wasn’t his biggest fan.

“Vanna isn’t a huge fan of Ryan so far,” the source shared in July. “It’s not that she doesn’t like him, but her chemistry with Pat Sajak was much more natural. With Ryan, it feels forced, and she doesn’t want loyal viewers and her longtime fans to pick up on that.”

The insider added that Vanna was “starting to think she may have made a mistake by staying” on the show following Pat’s exit. “Hopefully, she and Ryan will end up having a great rapport and this will all blow over,” the insider noted.

While Vanna was worried about the future of the show, Ryan explained he’s optimistic about the upcoming episodes of Wheel of Fortune. “This is such an incredible, special franchise,” he said while appearing on CBS Sunday Mornings. “It’s more than a TV show. It is something that means something to people. And when I found out that this was an opportunity for me, there was no thought to this. It was like, ‘Absolutely, let’s figure it out and let’s get started.’”