Maggie Sajak has been opening up about the “new era” of Wheel of Fortune, sharing her thoughts on new host Ryan Seacrest and how he’s fitting into the show after his first few weeks on set.
Speaking to Us Weekly at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, Maggie said she thinks Seacrest is “great” and “so professional” as the new Wheel host.
Maggie, who is the daughter of legendary Wheel host Pat Sajak, added, “I’m sure you would assume, but [Seacrest] really appreciates the show and knows how important it is. You can really tell by how prepared he is and how he treats the contestants and how he treats the whole experience.”
The American Idol host was announced as Wheel‘s new host in June 2023, replacing Pat, who ended his four-decade run back in June. However, Pat will return one last time to host the upcoming season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which premieres on Monday, October 7.
Maggie has worked as Wheel‘s social media correspondent since 2021, but she has been a part of the Wheel family since the day she was born. She revealed she even refers to long-time letter-turner Vanna White as “Aunt Vanna.”
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“Jokingly, we say she’s Aunt Vanna, but I really have known her since before I was born,” Maggie told the outlet. “She’s great, I love being able to see her now at work. We have a lot of fun, I pull her into TikToks I’m doing and things like that, so she’s the best. She really is such an icon, such a legend and such a great person too. She’s as sweet as she seems.”
Maggie went on to say how “special” Wheel is and how “it’s more than just a show.”
“I mean, this is bonding among generations. This is the time that families eat dinner together. I mean, it’s really special,” she explained. “When people have come up to my dad or told me how special the show is to them, it goes beyond just ‘I love that show’ and to be a part of it now is really meaningful to me.”
Because of her family connection to the show, Maggie is “protective” over Wheel, but she said she feels “it is in great hands, so we’re excited to see where it goes.”
Maggie often keeps fans up to date on social media with behind-the-scenes videos and sneak peeks. In her latest post, she took fans inside the Wheel production truck, showing off the numerous screens and control panels used by the director and producers. She also revealed the regular control room is “getting a little upgrade.”
Wheel‘s 42nd season premiered on September 9 and so far has been a hit with viewers. According to Nielsen, the Season 42 premiere week had an average viewership of 8.31 million per episode, making it the No. 1 syndicated show that week. Seacrest’s first episode as host brought in 9.63 million viewers, the show’s biggest season premiere since 2015.
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