Who will host “Wheel of Fortune” when Pat Sajak retires next year?
The 76-year-old longtime face of the beloved game show announced Monday that the upcoming season will be his final spin.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he tweeted.
“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!),” he added.
Fans have started to weigh in on who is worthy enough to fill Sajak’s shoes — with many believing the top contenders are already part of the franchise.
While Sony Pictures Television, the production and distribution studio that owns the show, has not revealed succession plans, some stars have already raised their hands.
Vanna White
The natural next step for “Wheel” would be to promote longtime letter-turner Vanna White.
White, 66, joined the program a year after Sajak, in 1982. She filled in for him in 2019 while he recovered from emergency surgery for a blocked intestine.
Despite her experience, an unidentified source claimed to the Daily Mail that White is worried she will be fired once Sajak retires.
Maggie Sajak
Pat Sajak’s daughter, Maggie, would also be a logical choice.
The 28-year-old law student joined “Wheel” in 2021 as its social media correspondent, and her experienced father even deemed her “a good host” when she led a trivia segment last Christmas.
Maggie also filled in for White as the letter-turner in May while she competed on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” as a contestant.
Ryan Seacrest
What do you give the hardest-working man in show business? Apparently his own shot at the “Fortune” hosting gig.
An unidentified insider told TMZ this week that Seacrest, 48, has been in touch with Sony about the job.
He was good friends with the late “Wheel” creator Merv Griffin, as the media mogul gave Seacrest his big break as the host of the short-lived game show “Click” in the mid-’90s.
Seacrest became a household name in 2002 as the host of “American Idol” — a job he still holds to this day.
His resume includes “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve With Ryan Seacrest”; his syndicated radio show, “On Air With Ryan Seacrest”; and nearly six years as Kelly Ripa’s sidekick on “Live With Kelly and Ryan.”
The Post has contacted reps for Seacrest and Sony for comment.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg has also expressed interest in taking the reins.
While discussing Sajak’s retirement Tuesday on “The View,” Goldberg, 67, noted, “I want that job,” adding that it would be “lots of fun.”
The EGOT winner has co-hosted the ABC daytime talk show since 2007. She’s also hosted the Oscars four times.
The Post has contacted a rep for Goldberg for comment.
Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith also has the “Wheel” gig in his sights.
The 55-year-old NBA analyst revealed on his “Stephen A. Smith Show” podcast Thursday that he and his mother are avid fans of the game show.
“I wanna throw my name in the hat,” he proclaimed.
A source close to Smith confirmed to The Post that he really is “open” to the hosting opportunity.
“No conversations have been had yet and he would never give up his day job, but he would gladly host if a few shows could be taped over a few weeks, that would run throughout the year,” the source claimed.
The Post has contacted a rep for Smith for comment.
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