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‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host Ryan Seacrest Doesn’t Mention Pat Sajak By Name in First Episode, But Says He Has ‘Big Shoes to Fill’
It was opening night for Ryan Seacrest as he took over as host on Monday's episode of "Wheel of Fortune," along with Vanna White.
In the opener, Seacrest noticeably didn’t mention the person whose shoes he was replacing by name, however: Pat Sajak, who signed off from the show in June after more than 40 years as host. Executive producer Bellamie Blackstone also built a miniature version of the wheel and they practiced in conference rooms around the country while Seacrest traveled for work. “By the time Ryan walked on that set, he was so prepared that he could just do what he does best and connect to those contestants in a very authentic way,” Suzanne Prete, president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said in that story.
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