Ryan Seacrest films first ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episodes, posts set video

Ryan Seacrest has given a behind-the-scenes look at his first day as host of “Wheel of Fortune” following Pat Sajak’s retirement.

“I’m still spinning with excitement!” he captioned an Instagram video of him entering the set for the first time. “I’m so excited, my heart is pounding,” he says in the video.

“The wheel may be smaller than you think, just like me,” he jokes, before turning the wheel for the first time. “I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so excited,” he continues. “I slept well, but was still very excited when the alarm went off.”

As he continues walking through the studio, he points to a screen showing an old scene of Sajak and co-host Vanna White smashing pies into each other’s faces, and a display case containing one of White’s old dresses, two Emmys trophies and other show memorabilia.

In a promo for the Seacrest era of “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak told him, “I think you’ll have the most fun meeting the players and getting to know the crowd at home. People love this show. They come to see us every day and watch with the whole family for half an hour.”

“You’ll never find a better job, and you’ll never find a better co-host,” Sajak continued, speaking of White.

Seacrest was announced as Sajak’s replacement in June 2023. Sajak’s final episode of “Wheel of Fortune” aired on June 7 and reached 11 million viewers, although he will host “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” for a final season this fall which premieres on ABC. In September 2023, White extended her contract with the show through the 2025-2025 season.

See Seacrest’s Instagram post below.