Morgan Evans ‘Very Sad’ Over Kelsea Ballerini Divorce: ‘I Wish It Were Otherwise’

The couple is calling it quits after nearly five years of marriage.

Morgan Evans is mourning the end of his marriage to Kelsea Ballerini. The 37-year-old “Kiss Somebody” singer took to his Instagram Stories to offer a heartfelt update on the news of their divorce.

“I am very sad to confirm that after almost 5 years of marriage, Kelsea and I are parting ways,” Evans wrote in a statement. “I wish it were otherwise but sadly it is not.”

On Monday, Ballerini addressed the news on her own Instagram, writing: “Friends, I’ve always tried my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold. This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce. This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end.”

She continued, “It’s hard to find the words here…but I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons.”

Morgan Evans / Instagram

The country singers met in March 2016 and got engaged in December of that year. They were married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the following year.

In 2019, ET caught up with Ballerini, who praised her 37-year-old husband at the time. “He is a supportive, supportive, wonderful human,” she said during their appearance at the 2019 CMT Awards.

Carson Daly Said This Voice Artist Sang “She Will Be Loved” Better Than Adam Levine

Both Jonny Rey and Angie Rey (no relation) sang songs by The Voice Coaches.

Blueberry farmer Jonny Rey may have left his Blind Audition without a Coach, but he did get the ultimate compliment from The Voice Host Carson Daly. Rey, who has a fencing company with his father, had the courage to sing “She Will Be Loved” in front of Adam Levine, and actually pulled it off.

For years, Rey only sang in the shower, and just did his first performance — from behind a curtain — his senior year of high school. He’d only been pursuing music seriously for a little over a year when he took the stage for the Blinds, choosing one of Maroon 5’s biggest hits.

Jonny Rey sings Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” for The Voice Season 27 Blind Audition

“He sounds better than Adam!” remarked Daly as Rey performed. Though the rendition didn’t get any Chair turns, all four Coaches encouraged him to return to the stage, as we’ve already seen a number of repeat Artists make it onto the show. Levine advised him to explore his falsetto, while Bublé promised, “If you would have chosen a Bublé song, I would have turned… I’m needy.”

Then again, Bublé is a known liar, so take it all with a grain of salt. “What I’m learning is he’s a lot like Blake Shelton. He’s friends with Blake. He lies like him,” fellow Coach John Legend said after Bublé resorted to empty promises to woo an Artist, though the gambit failed.

Angie Rey sings Kelsea Ballerini’s “Penthouses” for The Voice Season 27 Blind Audition

Angie Rey on The Voice Season 27, Episode 1. Photo: Christine Bartolucci/NBC

Getting onto a Coach’s team by singing one of their songs does work sometimes, as in the case of Angie Rey (no relation), who sang her way onto Team Kelsea with her rendition of “Penthouses.”

“I am terrified of singing a Kelsea Ballerini song in front of Kelsea Ballerini,” Rey admitted. Calling herself “a huge Kelsea fan,” Rey explained, “I would love a career like Kelsea’s. She writes from the point in her life that she’s at, but it really does transcend so many generations of people. Her songs have gotten me through so much. If someone blocks Kelsea Ballerini, I might throw hands.”

“You hit notes that I don’t hit in that song,” Ballerini said afterward, and they were off to the races.

The Voice Season 27 airs Mondays at 8/7c on NBC and streams next day on Peacock. 

How Divighn Channeled Prince & Gave a “Pitch-Perfect,” “Goosebumps” Blind Audition

Divighn is an Artist to watch on The Voice Season 27!

Thirty-three-year-old singer Divighn lit up the stage and kicked off Episode 3 of The Voice Season 27 Blind Auditions in style. Singing “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown, the California native got all four Coaches grooving, and had two battling it out to recruit him.

Adam Levine saw a bit of Prince in Divighn

In his wide-brimmed hat and two-toned jacket, Divighn definitely has style. His vocal technique is a bit Little Richard, a bit Michael Jackson, a bit Usher. Coach Adam Levine even noticed a “whoop” he threw in at the beginning of the song that reminded him of the late great, Prince. “Your voice is pure and pitch-perfect,” added Coach John Legend, advising him, “I wish you had put a little more stank on the normal part of the song.”

Ultimately, it was Coaches Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé who turned their chairs for Divighn, who expressed backstage how hard his mother had worked to provide for the family. His goal was to make sure she knew her “sacrifice was worth it,” and with two chair turns, he did just that.

John Legend, Michael Bublé, Kelsea Ballerini, and Adam Levine on The Voice Season 27, Episode 1. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

The winning Coach called Divighn a “triple threat”

Ballerini said Divighn’s performance gave her “goosebumps,” adding, “I hear a classic-ness to your voice,” and bragging, “I’m on the radio right now.” But Bublé didn’t fight back, quoting the wisdom he’d received during Season 26. “I learned from [Coach] Snoop [Dogg] last year: When they go low, you get high.” It worked, and Divighn went with Team Bublé.

“It was the first time in either of these seasons that I saw someone who is a triple threat,” Bublé remarked, eager to begin the competition.

This isn’t the only thing Bublé learned last season. His major takeaway from the Coach’s chair in Season 26 was “always to be empathetic,” the singer told NBC Insider. “Be empathetic and warm and to always realize that [the Artists are] a mirror image of you and where you’ve been and where you’ve come [from].”

When are new episodes of The Voice?

Watch The Voice on Mondays at 8/7c on NBC, or catch up the next day on Peacock.

Adam Levine Brings Something To The Voice That It’s Desperately Needed Since Blake Shelton Left, And I Could Not Be More Hyped

(Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC)

Fans have been loving Adam Levine’s return to The Voice since Season 27 premiered on the 2025 TV schedule, and as a fan from the very beginning, I’m right there with them. The Maroon 5 frontman has always brought some rock star swag that has, at times, led to some of The Voice’s more controversial moments, but these days he’s less about the rivalries and more about the group chat. However, the best thing about his comeback, in my opinion, is that he brings something the show has been missing since Blake Shelton left — a legacy of winning.

In Blake Shelton’s 23 seasons, he won the show nine times, and Kelly Clarkson has four victories. That’s 13 wins between just the two of them — half of the show’s 26 completed seasons. The fact that the other 13 seasons are spread amongst 20 other coaches of The Voice means that there aren’t a lot of mentors out there winning multiple seasons. Thank goodness for the Season 27 contestants, Adam Levine is one of them.

(Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC)

The Voice Hasn’t Had A Coach With More Than One Win Since Season 23

With Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson both exiting The Voice after Season 23 — likely for good, too, with John Legend saying the cowboy has no plans to return and Clarkson revealing how much she struggled in her final seasons — no coach has had more than one win since filming wrapped in May 2023.

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In fact, the only other coaches besides those two who can boast more than one victory are Niall Horan (Seasons 23 and 24) and Adam Levine (Seasons 1, 5 and 9). That is a huge deal for the current batch of contestants, and they seem to understand that.

On the first night of Blind Auditions, Darius J. had a choice between Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé. When host Carson Daly asked why he’d chosen to join Team Adam, Darius J. said:

I’ve been watching this show for a long time. I know Adam. I know he’s a winner, and I’m ready to win.

It was so refreshing to hear one of the contestants say that, because no mentor has had a real edge over his compatriots in that way in a while. We’ve seen artists choose the coach who best suits their genre or who wanted the chance to work with Reba McEntire or Snoop Dogg, and while I certainly won’t blame them for that, I missed having artists choose a coach because they’ve seen them take their team to the finish line time and again.

Looking at the way teams are forming so far, I’d say Darius J. is far from the only artist coming in with hopes of getting the Maroon 5 singer to turn.

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(Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC)

Adam Levine Is Winning The Majority Of Artists He’s Turned For

Those who have watched the first three episodes of Season 27 can tell that John Legend is a bit perturbed by Adam Levine threatening his position as King of the Four-Chair Turn. (Episodes are available to stream with a Peacock subscription if you do need to catch up.) When all four coaches turn their Big Red Chairs, the power goes back to the artist, who then gets to choose which team to join.

Of the six Four-Chair Turns through the February 17 episode, Adam Levine has closed the deal four times to John Legend’s two (and Levine was blocked from getting one of those). But Levine’s dominance goes further than that.

Not counting the two times Adam Levine has been blocked, he’s hit his button for 12 artists through three episodes, and he’s gotten eight of them. That’s a 67% success rate! Let’s look at that compared to the other Season 27 coaches (again, without counting blocks against their percentage):

Adam Levine: 8 artists, 12 chair turns (67%)
John Legend: 6 artists, 13 chair turns (46%)
Kelsea Ballerini: 7 artists, 16 chair turns (44%)
Michael Bublé: 6 artists, 21 chair turns (29%)

Adam Levine has the confidence and the history to get who he wants, and he proved it when he whipped out his resume to woo Four-Chair Turn Conor James on the February 17 episode. Following James’ rendition of “I Say a Little Prayer,” Levine told him:

This might sound braggy, but I’ve done it a lot. Took a break, came back again. There’s a characteristic — and specifically in the singers that I’ve taken the distance on this show — there’s a specific thing. Jordan Smith had it. The first season, Javier Colon had it. Tessanne Chin, who I love who won the show. There’s a spirit to what some of these guys do, I just am so attracted to it. Because what it means is basically there’s limitless potential. And I think that you have this unique ability — on this show specifically — to really win this thing. And I’ve seen it happen 16 times. For me, I saw it happen three times, and there’s no greater feeling, and I’m telling you bro, you can win this show, and I want you bad on my team.

OK so Adam Levine just called his shot. I’m excited to see if he really did see something in the singer that will get them to the end together. Oh yeah, and it might go without saying after that hard sell, but Conor James did choose the Maroon 5 rocker’s team.

Adam Levine might not have needed to put in such effort to win the artist, because Conor James said he’d planned to pick Team Adam if given the chance, but I absolutely think Levine should be reminding the auditioners of his success on the show every chance he gets.

I think The Voice Season 27 is off to a great start, and I absolutely love that Adam Levine has brought a winning legacy back to the NBC singing competition. Will he bring it home again and tie Kelly Clarkson for four wins overall? So far the momentum seems to be swinging in his direction.

Adam Levine may not think The Voice is a competition show anymore, but if it is, I’d say he’s winning it — just like he did in the past. New episodes of The Voice air at 8 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Behati Prinsloo Reveals Where Her Adam Levine Marriage Stands Two Years After Cheating Allegations

Supermodel Behati Prinsloo doesn’t often give a personal look at her family life with Adam Levine, but she decided that the holiday season was the perfect time for an update.

The 36-year-old fashionista shared a carousel of snapshots that included some sweet moments with the Maroon 5 frontman two years after his cheating allegations.

The first image showed Prinsloo locked in an embrace with Levine whose face was not showing, but his neck tattoos were fully on display. The photo gave the update that curious fans wanted to know about — their marriage is strong and thriving!

There was also a candid of the duo engaged in a side hug as Levine nestled into her shoulder and she shared a big smile with the camera lens.

Photo By: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection

The rare look at their marriage comes over two years after the couple weathered Levine’s “inappropriate” messages with women outside his marriage.

The scandal began after Instagram model Sumner Stroh shared her story on TikTok in September 2022. “Essentially, I was having an affair with a man who’s married to a Victoria’s Secret model,” she said in the clip, referring to Prinsloo. “At the time, you know, I was young. I was naïve and, quite frankly, I feel exploited.”

Stroh claimed that she was seeing Levine for “about a year” and shared their private messages during that time.

While Prinsloo was expecting their third child, the 45-year-old singer reportedly asked Stroh if they could name the child after her if it was a boy. “My morals were unknowingly compromised. I was completely manipulated,” she added. Stroh also noted in a second video that Levine led her to believe he was separated from Prinsloo while their affair was going on.

In a statement to ABC News in 2002, Levine insisted that he “did not have an affair” with Stroh, but he wasn’t completely innocent either. “A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air,” he wrote. “I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair, nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period in my life.”

“In certain instances, it became inappropriate,” Levine added. “I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family.” The Victoria’s Secret model’s holiday post on Instagram confirmed that the couple is back on track and the issues that plagued them two years ago are firmly in the past.

It was a happy holiday for Prinsloo and Levine!

Why The Voice Isn’t on 2 Days a Week Right Now

The Voice’s schedule is a bit different, but there’s no shortage of amazing shows to watch Tuesdays on NBC.

From Kelsea Ballerini revealing her “Blake Shelton button” to Michael Bublé showing off his neck-length mullet, The Voice Season 27 has been full of delightfully unexpected moments. This season has also featured a surprising schedule change-up.

So what’s new with The Voice? Read on for everything you need to know about Season 27’s broadcast schedule and why The Voice isn’t on two days a week right now.

Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé, Adam Levine, and John Legend on The Voice Season 27, Episode 1. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

Why isn’t The Voice on two days a week right now?

The Voice’s current schedule is a bit different from previous ones. For most of Season 27, The Voice will only air one new episode per week on Mondays, making room for more exciting shows on NBC’s Tuesday lineup.

Indeed, Tuesday nights on NBC are jam-packed with comedy, drama, and suspense. Check out NBC’s full Tuesday night schedule below:

St. Denis Medical at 8/7c
Night Court at 8:30/7:30c
Deal or No Deal Island at 9/8c
The Irrational at 10/9c

You can also watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday nights, and every weeknight, at 11:35/10:35c. New episodes of NBC’s shows are all available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Will The Voice air new episodes on Tuesday nights?

Yes! But for now, The Voice will only air new episodes on Mondays. Towards the end of the season, NBC will air some episodes from the Live Shows on Tuesdays.

The Voice Season 27 Live Shows are set to take place in May 2025, so stay tuned for more details!

As always, The Voice begins with multiple nights of Blind Auditions, followed by The Battles, The Knockouts, and The Playoffs. The Live Shows mark the final phase of The Voice, during which Host Carson Daly will announce the winner.

But no matter who wins this season, Coach Bublé can’t wait to witness all of the Artists’ music careers start to blossom. “My favorite part about it [being a Coach] was when I had to let people go for the first time, I was upset about it. Until I realized that their lives had changed. Until I realized that their careers had started,” Bublé told NBC Insider. “They started to create a business that could go on.”

John Legend, Michael Bublé, Kelsea Ballerini, and Adam Levine on The Voice Season 27, Episode 1. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

How to watch The Voice

You can watch new episodes of The Voice Season 27 on Monday nights at 8/7c on NBC. If you miss it when it airs on TV, new episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.

To keep up with John Legend, Adam Levine, Bublé, and Ballerini in between new episodes, check out The Voice’s YouTube channel to watch lots of behind-the-scenes moments with the Coaches

Exclusive: Fox First Run To End ‘Dish Nation,’ ‘Person, Place or Thing’ & ‘Pictionary’

Much of the rest of station group’s first-run lineup is on the bubble.

Fox First Run is not renewing three of its first-run shows — Dish Nation, Person, Place or Thing and Pictionary — after this season, a spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday. Fox First Run is the first-run development arm of Fox, working in conjunction with the Fox Television Stations.

The decision comes in a year where daytime ratings have dipped below a sustainable financial level for many syndicated shows, forcing station groups to make some hard choices.

Fox has many other first-run shows on its stations — including Warner Bros.’ Jennifer Hudson, Extra and True Crime News; Fox’s TMZ and TMZ Live; Debmar-Mercury’s Sherri and Trifecta’s Crime Expose with Nancy O’Dell. While Sherri, TMZ and TMZ Live look safe, everything else on that list is considered to be on the bubble. Fox’s decisions have ramifications for stations all across the nation because it is the group that clears shows through the country’s three largest markets: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Canceling those three shows — and potentially more — means there will definitely be shelf space available in daytime, and station groups and producers are looking at ways to creatively fill those holes. Going forward when programming daytime, stations are expected to move almost exclusively to shows that can generate revenue streams across multiple platforms and/or be run multiple times a day.

Thus far, only two new first-run strips have been announced for next fall and both are games: CBS Media Ventures’ Perfect Line, hosted by Deborah Norville, and Scrambled Up!, which comes from Keller/Noll, Playing Field Entertainment and Crazy Legs Productions.

While two of the three shows on Fox’s cancellation pile are games, they remain a favored genre in syndication. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and distributed by CMV, remain two of television’s highest-rated shows.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud is right up there with them, typically leading among younger demographics. Games also are relatively cheap to produce — they are often shot over six or so weeks in the summer in a location with good tax incentives, like Atlanta — and they are easy to multiplatform, with shows like CMV’s Flip Side co-produced and airing on GSN as well as on CBS-owned stations.

Fox First Run’s Dish Nation has aired on Fox Television Stations since 2012, giving it a 13-season run by the time it goes off the air. The show initially featured radio deejays from accross the country, but it has evolved into a talk/entertainment hybrid hosted by Tamar Braxton, Headkrack, Gary with da Tea, Da Brat, Tanner Thomason and Jessie Woo.

Pictionary, hosted by Jerry O’Connell, premiered in 2022. It started off as a co-production between Fox First Run and CBS Media Ventures in partnership with Mattel but Fox eventually took over its production. Person, Place or Thing debuted in 2023 and is hosted by actress Melissa Peterman. It is produced by Dino Bones Productions.

Two celebrity-hosted game shows canceled due to ‘low ratings’ – and fans call decision ‘such a shame’

TWO game shows hosted by celebrities have been axed following ‘low ratings’ – as fans branded the decision ‘such a shame’.

Fox First Run has chosen not to renew some of its Monday-Friday programs.

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Pictionary is coming to an endCredit: CBS

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Jerry O’Connell has hosted the game show for almost 500 episodes to dateCredit: CBS

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Melissa Peterman hosting Person, Place or ThingCredit: YouTube/Person Place or Thing TV
Game shows Pictionary and Person, Place or Thing are both coming to an end.

These cancelations are reportedly due to low ratings, as well as unsustainable financial costs.

Pictionary premiered in syndication back in September 2022.

It is based on the popular word-guessing game, which debuted in 1985.

Hosted by actor Jerry O’Connell, over 400 episodes have aired to date.

Following a test run in December 2021, Pictionary received a full season order.

The cancelation news follows a UK version of Pictionary launching on ITV last year.

Person, Place or Thing debuted in September 2023 and has aired two seasons.

Baby Daddy actress Melissa Peterman took on hosting duties.

Three players compete for cash and prizes by correctly identifying people, places and things.

The Talk’s Jerry O’Connell breaks down in tears off camera at finale and fumes show ‘didn’t deserve to end so suddenly’
Similarly to Pictionary, the format was based upon a well-known game – in this case, 20 Questions.

Taking to Reddit, a fan wrote: “Such a shame…both of them were fun in their own way.”

Another added: “Bummer, I like Pictionary.”

A third person remarked: “Wow, Jerry O’Connell loses Pictionary and his gig on The Talk within months of each other.”

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Person, Place or Thing is based on 20 QuestionsCredit: YouTube/Person Place or Thing TV

Celebrity Jeopardy! plummets to lowest ratings this season after $*x assault claims against contestant & ‘poor’ casting

CELEBRITY Jeopardy! ratings have dropped by over a million viewers after the premiere episode, as the season’s casting choices have received backlash from fans.

The third season of Celebrity Jeopardy! is hosted by Ken Jennings.

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Ken Jennings hosts Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy!Credit: Disney

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The series has come under fire for airing an episode featuring actor Brian Jordan AlvarezCredit: Getty
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal the premiere episode on January 8 brought in 3,028,000 viewers.

The episode featured actor Max Greenfield, actress Camilla Luddington and comedian W. Kamau Bell.

The January 15 episode, featuring actresses Melissa Peterman and Jackie Tohn, and writer Neil deGrasse Tyson, brought in 2,648,000 viewers, a slight dip from the week prior.

The January 22 episode had fewer viewers with 2,519,000 tuning in.

This episode had contestants Seth Green, Margaret Cho and Rachel Brosnahan.

The January 29 episode had the lowest of the season with 1,835,000 viewers watching Roy Wood Jr., Brian Jordan Alvarez and Phoebe Robinson compete.

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Brian [L] was accused of $*xual assault, claims he deniedCredit: Getty

CONTESTANT BACKLASH

The low ratings could be a result of casting, as Celebrity Jeopardy! received backlash from viewers for casting actor and comedian Brian.

In December, before the episode was filmed, the English Teacher actor was hit with claims of $*xual assault.

Vulture reported Brian’s former co-star on The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, Joe Ebeling, accused him of assault over eight years ago while shooting a scene for the web series.

He claimed Brian $*xually assaulted him while filming the scene without his consent.

Joe claimed he filed a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department in September and reported Brian to the Screen Actors Guild.

Brian’s lawyer Michael J. Kump confirmed the “brief” encounter to Vulture, but said Bryan “believed (correctly and justifiably in light of Brian’s then-current $*xual relationship with Mr. Ebeling) that Mr. Ebeling was fine with it.”

His lawyer also claimed Joe “consented verbally” to doing this “for real” before the scene. Joe denied that claim.

Fans were upset Celebrity Jeopardy! aired the episode, as one commented on Instagram, “Disappointed to see Brian Jordan Alvarez on here.”

Another wrote, “It’s Jeopardy so I’ll answer in the form of a question: ‘What is consent?’ That’ll be a tough one for a certain one of these contestants to answer.”

CELEBRITY CONTESTANTS?

The ratings drop also comes after the series received backlash over the “unknown” celebrity contestants chosen this season.

One fan wrote on Instagram, “Neil is the only ‘celebrity’ this season I’ve heard of.”

A second sarcastically wrote, “Oh… I thought you said ‘Celebrity Jeoprady.’”

A third commented, “These are celebrities????”

Another said, “‘Celebrity’ Jeopardy! is used a bit loosely here. Neil is the only celeb on the show.”

A fifth commented of the January 22 episode, “Tbh, I didn’t know any of them prior to tonight.”

JEOPARDY! RATINGS

Ken hosts Jeopardy! as well, as the series is currently airing its Tournament of Champions.

The drop in ratings comes after Wheel of Fortune with new host Ryan Seacrest beat out Jeopardy! for their Season 42 premiere.

The U.S. Sun previously reported 8,310,000 viewers watched Wheel of Fortune for the premiere week of September 9 to September 15.

As for rival game show Jeopardy!, 7,113,000 viewers tuned in for the episodes.

Wheel of Fortune taking over the top spot is a shock, as Jeopardy! brought in more viewers overall last season.

Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions

Jeopardy!’s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it’s shaping up to be another showstopper. Here’s who is officially eligible so far:

Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
Greg Jolin (five wins and $135,002)
Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
Mark Fitzpatrick (five wins and $107,201)
Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
Ryan Manton (four wins and $83,179)
Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
Will Wallace (four wins and $79,998)
Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)
Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)

The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.

Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”

“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”

HOST BATTLE

The former American Idol star’s success on the game show could mean trouble for Ken, 50.

A source previously told The U.S. Sun, “Ryan is bringing a sense of youth and urgency to the job that is a lot harder to pull off than it looks, and Wheel is bound to get a bump in the numbers once his episodes start running in September.

“My advice to Ken is that just because Mayim is out of the picture doesn’t mean he shouldn’t watch his back.”

Ken and The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik shared hosting duties until she was let go from the show in 2023.

“In most media markets these shows run back-to-back and Ken needs to make sure he doesn’t suffer from the contrast with Ryan,” the insider continued to claim.

“It’s a tricky situation because their personalities are so radically different from one another.”

A second source told The U.S. Sun that while Ken currently has no long-term contract with the show, he has made it known to higher-ups that he would like to host for the long haul.

“Jeopardy! is Ken’s religion; he lives it, and he breathes it, and despite all the outside pressures, he’s not going to mess this up,” the insider claimed.

“He’s proud to have worked his way into this position and believes he has what it takes to make it last for decades to come.”

The source continued, “What he really wants more than anything is to stick around and make this position work for the long run.

“And if that means making less money to ensure his longevity, you can bet your life he’d be game.

“This isn’t all about the money. It’s a way of life for Ken and then some. He’s in it for the long run and to secure his status in the show’s history.”

Ken has a 74-game streak as a contestant, taking home $2.5 million.

He has made a total of $4.3 million from the game show with tournaments.

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The season has also come under fire for casting ‘celebrities’ fans ‘don’t know’Credit: Getty

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Celebrity Jeopardy! is in its third seasonCredit: Getty

Wheel of Fortune season premiere divides fans as ‘hideous’ set gets more backlash than ‘boring’ Ryan Seacrest

RYAN Seacrest’s Wheel of Fortune era has officially begun, and viewers didn’t hold back their thoughts on social media about the new spin.

Ryan, 49, took the stage with the iconic Vanna White, 67, on Monday, September 9, for the big Season 42 premiere.

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Ryan Seacrest making his hosting debut with Vanna White on Wheel of FortuneCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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The ‘bright’ new Wheel of Fortune set divided fansCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of FortuneCredit: Wheel of Fortune
Tonight’s Wheel of Fortune episode was not just business as usual in the game show world.

It was a sheer TV milestone that marked Ryan’s first episode as host instead of the legendary Pat Sajak, who had hosted for 41 years.

The audience roared during their entrance as the American Idol fixture walked Vanna out through the bright new set, which had sliding doors center-stage.

Ryan wore a black suit and tie, while Vanna upped the ante in a regal blue gown.

“Welcome to the show,” Vanna told Ryan as she clasped his arm. “So good to have you.”

‘BIG SHOES TO FILL’

Ryan took center stage and shared a lengthy message with fans.

“Welcome to Wheel of Fortune. I am your host Ryan Seacrest. I still can’t believe my luck being here tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show.”

“And, of course, my good friend Vanna White. Thank you for the very warm welcome,” he added.

The audience gave Vanna a lengthy round of applause as she nodded to Ryan from the puzzle board.

“Hosting Wheel of Fortune is a dream job,” Ryan continued. “I have been a fan of this show since I was a kid, watching it in Atlanta with my family.

Wheel of Fortune’s Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White accidentally give sneak peek at new set featuring bright blue backdrop
“And I know Wheel has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years.

“And I am so grateful to be invited in.”

“I also know I have some very big shoes to fill,” Ryan added, not mentioning Pat by name. “So let’s play Wheel of Fortune.”

With that, Ryan got into the game, and fans quickly realized the show was nearly unrecognizable – host aside.

Ryan Seacrest’s Current Jobs

Ryan Seacrest is quite the workaholic, with the Hollywood multiphenate juggling perhaps more ongoing jobs than any other A-lister:

-Host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC
-Host of American Top 40 on KIIS-FM
-Host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM
-Host of American Idol since its very first season in 2001
-Host of Wheel of Fortune as of 2024

Ryan has exited many previous roles in the past few years to get where he is today, including as an executive producer of Hulu’s The Kardashians and co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark.

Hard work pays off; according to Celebrity Net Worth, Ryan’s worth a fortune of $450 million

The players were Terry, Corina, and Cindy – and Ryan kept things spinning swiftly with them, bringing a high-energy style.

However, viewers see the show from home in a different way – the screen shows all three contestants on their own panels as they answer puzzles.

The brightly lit new set and shiny puzzle board distracted many wheel watchers from even having opinions on the new host.

‘AWFUL’ SET

Fans on social media had many thoughts about the premiere, saying the new set would take more getting used to than Ryan.

“I get that Wheel of Fortune replaced Pat Sajak because he retired, but why did they have to change the entire set?!” one X user wrote.

“I usually don’t tweet about much stuff I watch but why does Wheel of Fortune look so awful now like wtf,” wrote another.

“So, I’m sure nobody else cares… but this new Wheel of Fortune set just isn’t doing it for me,” wrote another.

“The set sucks. And what’s this with his hands in his pockets?” wrote a third.

“This new set is going to take more getting used to than Ryan. everything is so computer generated and bright,” wrote a fourth.

“Not impressed with the new wheel of fortune set,” another shared.

“The new set hurts my eyes,” a viewer stated.

“Why does the new set look like some old-fashioned clock factory with animated mice crawling around,” wrote one user.

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Viewers now see all three players in separate panels during puzzlesCredit: Wheel of Fortune

FIRST THOUGHTS ON RYAN

Others had mostly positive initial thoughts on Ryan, though naturally, not everyone.

“Ryan Seacrest is boring,” one critic wrote.

“I gotta say…I don’t understand the hate – Ryan Seacrest isn’t that bad as host,” wrote another X user.

“First impression of Ryan Seacrest hosting is that he’s doing it without notecards,” remarked a third.

Ryan previously shared that he memorized contestants’ intros and would not rely on cue cards.

“That takes a ton of skill and confidence and also shows a lot of personal character in learning the game and the contestants,” they continued.

Terry ended up winning the game with an impressive $25,849 haul, and he told Corina her “spirit and energy were unmatched” as she won football tickets to any NFL game of her choosing.

Terry was unable to get the bonus round, which was “Digital Footprint,” and Ryan gave him a firm handshake, thanking him for being there on his first night.

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Vanna White excitedly held Ryan Seacrest’s arm as they walked outCredit: ABC

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Ryan Seacrest called Vanna White ‘my good friend’ who gave him a ‘very warm welcome’Credit: Wheel of Fortune

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Fans were impressed that Ryan Seacrest didn’t use any cue cardsCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Ryan Seacrest with the ‘spirited’ Corina, who won NFL ticketsCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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Ryan Seacrest shaking Terry’s hand after he flubbed the bonus puzzleCredit: ABC

RYAN TAKES THE WHEEL

After endless anticipation, a head-spinning press tour, and rumors of stale co-host chemistry, Wheel of Fortune’s new season is here.

Ryan has now replaced Pat as host and joins TV royalty Vanna as the show’s new puzzle-presenting pair.

Pat has been the host since 1981 (Vanna since 1982), a record for the longest game show host ever, so it’s quite the moment.

Pat’s final episode aired on June 7, 2024 a tearjerker watched by millions almost a year after he announced his departure.

Just weeks after Pat announced his retirement a year earlier, the American Idol fixture was secured as his replacement.

Some fans were initially puzzled by Ryan’s selection, as he already has a full plate and many jobs.

There were also reports that he and Vanna “don’t jibe” on set, and she even admitted she was “very scared” of the huge change.

A studio source also exclusively told The U.S. Sun that Ryan was not Pat’s choice.

“Ryan wasn’t Pat’s choice to replace him and Pat deliberately stayed out of that process,” they said.

“Ryan was extremely smart when he took the job to be utterly respectful to Pat at every turn.

“Ryan did not want there to be even an ounce of tension between them.

“Ryan acts like he has Pat’s support and for now, that helps him [Ryan] enjoy this honeymoon period, where the fans are going to decide if he’s a good fit for the show.”

However, Ryan has made it known in his many interviews leading up to tonight that he’s taking the big gig seriously.

“I want the audience to feel like this is the right decision,” he told USA Today. “I want [the transition] to be something that’s not jarring, that’s seamless.”

Ryan also made clear he wouldn’t host unless he did so alongside Vanna, whom he met in 2007 at Merv Griffin’s funeral.

“I didn’t want to do it with anyone other than Vanna,” Ryan told Variety. “It was critical for me to have her on the show as long as she wants to be.”

“And certainly for the launch – to have two different people would be too much change at once.

“I made it very clear that that would be a mistake if they didn’t have her on board.”

Vanna has been with the show since 1982, but unlike Pat, she decided she wasn’t ready to retire just yet.

Vanna told Variety: “I was not ready to retire. I have at least two more years with the show and we’ll see from there.”

Vanna will host for at least two years as she signed a new contract with a “significant” pay bump to turn letters until 2026.

Meanwhile, legendary host Pat isn’t gone for good, as he’ll return to Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on October 7 in his final farewell.

Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. Eastern – check your local listings.

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Pat Sajak with Vanna White on the previous Wheel of Fortune setCredit: Getty

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Poster for Ryan Seacrest as the new host with Vanna WhiteCredit: Wheel of Fortune