“Wheel of Fortune” has a new puzzle to solve for the first time in over 40 years.
Pat Sajak announced on Monday that the show’s upcoming season will be his last. The 76-year-old has been host since 1981, becoming the Guinness World Record holder for “longest career as a game show host for the same show.”
Who will step into Sajak’s shoes on “Wheel of Fortune”? Let’s look at some celebrities who have tossed their own name into the mix, along with others who could be a potential fit.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Vanna White
If “Wheel of Fortune” is looking for continuity in the post-Sajak era, it could turn to the show’s iconic letter turner.
Vanna White celebrated her 40th year with the show last December. She has experience stepping in for Sajak, too, taking her first spin as host in 2019.
Maggie Sajak
White may have 40 years of experience, but Maggie Sajak has been around “Wheel of Fortune” since she was born.
Maggie Sajak debuted on the “Wheel of Fortune” stage as a 1-year-old with her father hosting. She has since stepped in as a letter turner during White’s temporary hosting stint and became a social media correspondent for the show in 2021.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg professed her interest in the “Wheel of Fortune” job on “The View.”
“I want the job,” she said on Tuesday’s show with “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings as a guest. “I think it’d be lots of fun.”
Goldberg has game-show experience after being the center square on “Hollywood Squares” from 1998 to 2002. The Oscar-winning actress has been on “The View” since 2007.
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest is one of the most recognizable hosts in America, and he reportedly is already in the mix for the “Wheel of Fortune” job.
Seacrest has already been talking to the show’s producers with some people saying he’s the “frontrunner,” Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reported.
He also got an endorsement from his former “Live!” co-host, Kelly Ripa, who said “he’d be perfect for that.”
Wayne Brady
Speaking of longtime hosts, Wayne Brady’s experience on “Let’s Make a Deal” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” makes him a sensible option. He also made a special appearance on “Wheel of Fortune” during a holiday episode back in 2003.
LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton was in the mix to replace Alex Trebek on “Jeopardy!” before Jennings and Mayim Bialik were named permanent hosts. He got a chance to guest-host the show in 2021, but “Wheel of Fortune” could be his chance at a full-time game-show gig.
Stephen A. Smith
Lastly, one of the biggest names in sports media announced his interest in hosting the game show.
“I want to throw my name in the hat,” Smith emphatically said on his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” “If ‘Wheel of Fortune’ called to ask me to host a show for a couple of days, I wouldn’t mind. I wouldn’t mind hosting that show.”
Smith mentioned that he wouldn’t want to sacrifice his day job with ESPN’s “First Take” or his podcast.
