‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans claim Ryan Seacrest might leave soon — they already have another name in mind

Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Pat Sajak became synonymous with “Wheel of Fortune” as its host and that’s something his successor Ryan Seacrest will take a long time to achieve. But in less than a year that he took up the role, the dissatisfaction of fans and certain reports suggest that he may not be around for that long. There’s also a chance that Sajak might swiftly make a comeback and take over once again, in case Seacrest is ousted.

According to a report in Radar, an insider from the show believes that Sajak’s appearance on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” revived his drive to be a host again thanks to the response he got from long-time fans. The former host even believes that Seacrest won’t be able to hold on to the position for a long time. “The truth is he never wanted to leave in the first place, they forced his hand, and now he wants his old job back,” the insider said.

What a send off for Pat Sajak, who retires as host of Wheel of Fortune next month pic.twitter.com/h3DBd47Qbr

— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) May 24, 2024

“Ryan may have a multiyear deal, but Pat doesn’t think Ryan will be able to stick with it for the long term and he’ll be waiting in the wings to take over,” they added. However, there’s one more Sajak who might be poised to take over if the current host is asked to leave, and that’s Maggie Sajak who already works as the show’s social media correspondent. The US Sun reported that she is valuable to the showrunners since she can attract a younger audience and still be loved by older fans.

“Sony loves the ratings and wants to negotiate a much longer contract for Ryan, but right now they have to have contingency plans in place in case Ryan simply decides to move on,” the insider said. “Maggie has positioned herself to help out if there’s a hosting vacancy, and the franchise is in her blood and her appreciation for the world of Wheel of Fortune is genuine.”

On Wednesdays we wear…🤎 pic.twitter.com/hoNImQuB30

— Maggie Sajak (@MaggieSajak) February 20, 2025

Ever since he took the reins of the show, Seacrest has been hit by a barrage of criticism from Sajak’s loyal fans. These viewers seem to be unwilling to give the host even one full year to try and figure out how to best discharge his duties as the host of “Wheel of Fortune.” And so sometimes, the most ridiculous insinuations are made against him. One of the more recent ones on Reddit suggested that the current host of the show can’t read numbers.

“He just flips the gold envelope open, looks down at it, and then at the contestant. SO you can see that the puzzle was worth $40,000, BUT HE NEVER says the dollar amount of the prize out loud,” the post read. “ At first, I thought it was just him getting acclimated to the gig, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe he just can’t read numbers?” the user concluded.

Other fans of the show came to Seacrest’s defense. “Do you even watch the show? If you don’t like Ryan fine … but at least back your criticism up with substance. Saying he can’t read numbers is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard,” one user called kerosenehat63 commented. “He doesn’t have to say them. The contestant and audience reactions speak for themselves,” another user explained.