Heavy/NBCUniversal Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen reacted to the announcement that Ryan Seacrest will be the new host on “Wheel of Fortune” amid Pat Sajak’s departure. In June 2023, the veteran game show host, 79, announced he will step down from the puzzle-filled show in 2024 after 42 years on the job, and Cohen expressed an interest in filling his role.
“Dream, dream job. I would love to,” Cohen told Us Weekly of the job opening in June 2023. “Not only is a game show the thing that I haven’t done yet, but that is the premiere game show. It’s really fun.
In a Tik Tok video posted by social media star Adam Glyn on June 29, Cohen was asked for his reaction to the news of Seacrest’s new gig. “Seemed like it was gonna happen,” the “Watch What Happens Live” host replied. Cohen also confirmed that he was never approached about hosting the show – and that it was all good.
“No, no, no, no, no,” he told Glyn, adding, “By the way, I have eight jobs including the best job on television at Bravo, so I’m booked and blessed.”
Andy Cohen Said He “Doesn’t Care” About Being Compared to Other Late-Night Hosts
Cohen has been the host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” since 2009, but his show is not always put in the same category as the more traditional late-night shows helmed by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and others.
While speaking on the “Table for Two” podcast in 2022, Cohen said his show has “redefined” the format. “I think there’s been a traditional idea of what a late-night talk show is, I would argue that ‘Watch What Happens Live’ has redefined what the late-night talk show is.”
He pointed out that his Bravo Clubhouse featured “the first bar on late-night,” a detail that James Corden later copied.
While speaking with Glyn, Cohen said he doesn’t care about being considered a late-night host in the same category as Fallon and Kimmel. “I don’t care,” he said. “I’m so happy to be doing this that I could give a s*** what list I’m on. I’m on my own list, and I’m happy to be on it.”
Pat Sajak Joked About Ryan Seacrest Taking His Job Years Ago
Pat Sajak actually predicted Ryan Seacrest replacing him back in 2012! After he made a mistake, he joked, “Seacrest is on speed dial.” #WheelofFortune @RyanSeacrest @PatOnWheel
Cohen isn’t the only person not surprised by Seacrest’s new role on “Wheel of Fortune.” More than a decade ago, Sajak himself joked about the “American Idol” host someday taking his spot.
In a clip from a 2012 episode of “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak was seen messing up the directions when a contestant spun the wheel and landed on a “free play” square. He even called himself an “idiot” for screwing up his line. Later in the episode, Sajak joked about another error he made and added, “Ryan Seacrest is on speed dial.”
Once the new “Wheel of Fortune” role was officially announced, Seacrest posted to Instagram to reveal that he felt “humbled” to fill Sajak’s shoes.
Sajak also posted on social media with a start date for Seacrest. “I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest in September of 2024,” he tweeted in June 2023.
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