Ryan Seacrest Sets Major New Year’s Resolution for ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in 2025

Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek’s network of contributors Ryan Seacrest has one big-buck New Year’s resolution as he heads into 2025 as the new co-host of Wheel of Fortune: make lucky contestants rich. “I love giving away the money,” Seacrest, who became co-host opposite Vanna White of the iconic game show in September, recently told Fox News Digital. “I get so excited when people win the money, and they win a lot of money.” His goal for his first full year in the gig? “I’m hoping to give away a million dollars in 2025,” he said. Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attended an event in Santa Monica, California, on August 30, 2024. The following month, Seacrest began his new gig as co-host of ‘The Wheel of Fortune.’ Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attended an event in Santa Monica, California, on August 30, 2024. The following month, Seacrest began his new gig as co-host of ‘The Wheel of Fortune.’ Phillip Faraone/Getty Images According to TV Insider, only four contestants have walked away with over that much money in prizes, including the top winner, Autumn Erhard, who scored $1,030,340 on Season 30 in May 2013. Sabrina the Teenage Witch actress Melissa Joan Hart earned her spot among that elite group in 2021 when she landed on a million-dollar wedge while playing Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. She then went on to solve the final puzzle and win an impressive total of $1,027,800 for charity, News Nation reported. Seacrest, 50, is ready to continue the lucrative legacy now that Pat Sajak has retired as host. “I am always impressed and grateful for what the show has meant to me before I even started working there and what it means to so many people and generations around the country,” Seacrest said. Sajak, 77, began his impressive run on Wheel of Fortune in 1981, one year before White, 67, joined the show. His final episode was taped last spring and aired June 7. Seacrest took to Instagram at the time to congratulate his predecessor on his “incredible run” and noted the host’s “dedication, charm, and wit made the show a beloved part of American television for decades.” “Your partnership with Vanna has been nothing short of iconic, and together, you’ve created countless wonderful memories for viewers,” Seacrest gushed, adding, “You’ve set the standard for hosts everywhere, and this marks the end of an era.” Fox News Digital reported Sajak’s next career move includes portraying a homicidal psychiatrist in Prescription: Murder at the Hawaii Theatre Center in Honolulu over the summer. Seacrest will ring in 2025 live from Times Square as host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.