If Ryan Seacrest‘s Instagram feed is any indication, the longtime “American Idol” host is having a blast filming his first season of “Wheel of Fortune.” But between diehard fans’ complaints about Seacrest being hired as the show’s new host and word of tension between him and his predecessor, Pat Sajak, things may not be going as smoothly as they look.
Sajak, 77, has avoided mentoring Seacrest, 49, since his last episode of the syndicated game show aired in early June, according to a report by Closer published on July 17, 2024. An inside source told the outlet that Sajak is too “bitter” and “resentful” to advise Seacrest because he feels like he was forced into retirement.
Report Says Pat Sajak is ‘Too Busy’ to Help Ryan Seacrest, But Will Host ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’
ABCVanna White and Pat Sajak on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” in December 2023
Seacrest appeared confident and excited in his on-set videos, even as diehard “Wheel of Fortune” fans continue to protest his hiring. But the inside source who spoke to Closer said that Seacrest would still appreciate some tips and mentoring from Sajak, 77. That hasn’t happened and likely won’t, the source added.
Sajak, who announced his upcoming retirement in June 2023, “won’t interfere” with Seacrest learning the ropes, the source told Closer and added, “He’s too busy having fun with all this newfound free time he’s got.”
But the insider also said “it seemed like a forced retirement,” which has made Sajak “clearly resentful.”
“Ryan can reach out to Pat if he wants but asking isn’t getting,” the insider explained to Closer. “Pat’s always going to be busy, or he’ll brush Ryan off with a neutral, ‘You got this.’”
The source also admitted Sajak gets some “bitter satisfaction” in not helping Seacrest, telling Closer, “”It seemed like a forced retirement, at least that’s what people were picking up.”
The insider added that Sajak was “clearly resentful of the way he was treated and then kicked off the show” and that when Seacrest’s first shows air, “Pat’s going to be watching and enjoying seeing how he fares in the hot seat which is full of challenges and not nearly as easy as he might think.”
As part of his retirement plan, Sajak “agreed to stay on as a consultant on the show for the next three years,” Suzanne Prete, EVP of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, told Deadline.
It’s not clear how he’s fulfilling that promise, especially if he’s not available to mentor Seacrest. But he has found time to return to the show this fall; ABC announced on July 11 that Sajak will return to host the fall edition of “Celebrity Family Feud.”
Ryan Seacrest Says He’s ‘Spinning With Excitement’ in Behind-the-Scenes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Video
By the time Seacrest’s first season hosting the legendary game show premieres in September, he’ll have had plenty of practice at the wheel. He told “Entertainment Tonight” in mid-May, at the season 22 “American Idol” finale, that he was due at the “Wheel of Fortune” set the following day to start filming with Vanna White.
Seacrest posted two Instagram videos, on July 16 and 19, with behind-the-scenes footage of his first days on set, writing that he was “spinning with excitement” as he filmed promos with White, 67.
In his first video, he said his heart was “pounding” as he arrived on set, met staffers, and joked, “The wheel’s smaller than you think, as am I.”
In his second behind-the-scenes video, posted on July 19, Seacrest and White seemed to be getting along well, despite widespread rumors of a rift between them, per DailyMail.com.
The new duo joked about her meatball lunch in the video and that only she has the “power” to make the letters light up. As Seacrest soaked up information about the show’s inner workings in the video, White even discovered things she hadn’t known, including where the “confetti button” was located for contestants’ big wins.
The source that spoke with Closer, however, said Seacrest has turned on the charm for everyone at the show, trying to get in their good graces.
“He’s in full Mr. Nice Guy mode, putting on the charm, lavishing Vanna and everyone else on the show with his homemade cooking, bringing treats,” the insider said, adding that Seacrest “is making a huge effort with Vanna and trying to win favor by taking her out to dinner and trying to get through any lingering tensions they’ve got.”
Seacrest and White will debut as co-hosts when “Wheel of Fortune” season 42 premieres in September. The new edition of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” is slated for an October 7 premiere, per Deadline.
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