The 48-year-old will step up to the plate, or rather, the wheel, beginning next fall. And he confirmed his new gig shortly after Pat announced his retirement.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Ryan tweeted June 27. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
The former Live! host, who called his new role a “full circle moment” as he got his start hosting the game show Click more than two decades ago, also paid special tribute to his predecessor.
“Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease,” he added. “I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”
And of working with Vanna, he concluded, “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”