Ryan Seacrest knows he has huge shoes to fill when he walks on stage as the new host of one of America’s most beloved game shows.
Seacrest, who will stand at the helm of “Wheel of Fortune” beginning Monday night for the season 42 premiere, learned how to keep a crowd captivated after decades of on-air success as a radio disc jockey in Southern California.
He became a household name after earning the “American Idol” hosting gig in 2002, and then served as Kelly Ripa’s co-host for a number of seasons on “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” before signing off from morning talk shows to pursue his primetime dream following Pat Sajak’s retirement announcement in 2023.
Sajak hosted the wheel-spinning show for 40 years – making him the longest-running host of any game show – and his departure from the production sparked speculation about who would be able to continue such a legacy. Brand expert Eric Schiffer exclusively told Fox News Digital that “Wheel” viewers are in good hands with Seacrest and his media mastermind.
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“Many people are asking, ‘Can he pull it off? Will he tank it? Will he turn off audiences?’” Schiffer said. “Ryan has a sixth sense of how to make adjustments, and the adjustment here is toning down the energy until he builds audience trust. Then, I believe he can use some of the techniques mastered on ‘Idol’ to increase engagement and grow the audience.
“It’s largely a passive show, compared to ‘American Idol,’ where there’s a lot more interaction. They’ve got to bill to younger audiences.”
Trials and tribulations are inevitable, and with time, Seacrest will find his own groove hosting the long-running game show alongside co-host Vanna White.
“I think Ryan’s challenge will be building enough trust in the early stages to where he can bring in all of his magic to grow the brand and to grow the audience without losing legacy fans, and that’s going to come with trust and him being comfortable,” Schiffer said. “The star remains the game itself.”
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He added, “As long as the game and the players of the game are the central focus, it should continue to do fine. I think Ryan can then continue to grow it.”
While Seacrest has worked among various sizes of crowds and studio audiences throughout the years, hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” red carpet coverage at the Emmys and Academy Awards, and multiple stints at the Olympics, Schiffer believed the esteemed entertainer could turn audiences away if he brings “too much energy too early” to the nightly game show.
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He noted that Seacrest’s downfall could be “trying to bring in too much emotion or storytelling or high-energy hosting pizzazz in an environment where people are used to a low-key, comfortable, predictable Pat Sajack that doesn’t try to steal the attention away from the real star, which is the game board.”
Still, Schiffer urged, “He knows how to do this. It’s going to require some finesse and watching the numbers, but it’s doable. I think he can pull it off and align with audience expectations. It’s far more approachable and chill, but he knows how to do that. He’s an authentic guy.”
Seacrest, who founded and serves as the executive producer of the massively popular “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” banner, recently said he wanted to host the show for 40 years, just like Sajak did, to which Schiffer joked that Ryan would be able to if he were to adjust his lifestyle toward a “plant-based diet.”
He added, “That’s an ambitious goal for a guy who has already found ways to weave his brand into these iconic slots that were owned by Dick Clark and now Pat Sajack. It’s brilliant masterminding of his career to get to where he is and then further take this on and add to his empire.
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“He’s really built a consistently growing empire with smart moves and understanding his brand, and finding ways to extend it. I believe this will be another jewel on the crown.”
“I can’t see how he would fail unless he just can’t get out of his own way, but this is not someone with an ego run amok where he would crash and burn because he wants his personality to dominate over what has been the formula to success – this low-key, comfortable, predictable show that is not dominated by anyone other than the players in the game.”
Sajak’s final episode aired June 7, almost a year after he announced on June 12, 2023, that he would be leaving the game show. The legendary host will return to “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” on Oct. 7 in his final farewell.
