Ryan Seacrest under ‘tremendous pressure’ as Wheel of Fortune ratings plummet after Pat Sajak’s departure

Ryan Seacrest is under great pressure to deliver as Wheel of Fortune is suffering a major ratings dip, according to new figures. Show insiders are whispering how Vanna White’s in an excellent position to land the big job herself when her new boss abandons him.

“Ryan tries to sugarcoat it and says it’s good news, that the only way is up, since Pat (from Sajak) “The ratings have dropped,” a source tells exclusively Closer“But bosses are concerned that it’s a trend that can’t be automatically reversed by simply hiring a new presenter. So Ryan is under enormous pressure from day one to deliver the huge salary they’re paying him, not to mention the huge money they’ve invested in giving Vanna her big pay rise. If the ratings don’t pick up again, Ryan is the one they’re going to blame, there’s no doubt about that.”

The insider continues: “He knows he’s going to be the fall guy, so it’s incredibly stressful for him right now. And Vanna is in the catbird position. She can just sit back, spin the wheel and wait for Ryan to fall on his face. Even if that’s not her intention, she could definitely benefit immensely from this because she would be the next obvious replacement. Everyone knows there’s no one the fans would want to see take over from Ryan, she would be a slam dunk.”

Pat, 77, announced he will retire at the end of 2023, and Ryan, 49, took over earlier this year.

“I can say, along with the rest of America, that it has been a privilege and pure joy to have Pat and Vanna on our television screens for the past 40 years, making us smile every night and feeling completely at home with them,” said the American Idol the host said in a statement following the announcement.

Pat’s last episode as host aired on June 7. Between July 1 and 21, Wheel of Fortune The ratings took a hit and it gave up its second place to Family feudaccording to Nielsen ratings. In addition, shortly after Ryan took over hosting duties for Wheel of Fortunerumors began circulating that he and 67-year-old Vanna did not have the same kind of relationship as Vanna had with Pat.

On June 16, The daily mail reported that Vanna considered leaving the show before her contract expired.

“Vanna is retiring when her contract is up, but there’s a part of her that wants to leave early. It’s just so hard to do this without Pat,” a show insider told the publication. “She just doesn’t mesh with Ryan the way she did with Pat, and no one ever expected that. There’s just no way she could.”

The source continued: “Vanna feels like she’s put in the time. She’s dedicated her life to this show and she’s had an incredible run while making a fortune. She knows the show needs to go in a different direction and appeal to a younger demographic. She wants the show to continue. That requires a younger female host, someone who can be to Ryan what she was to Pat.”

The new season of Wheel of Fortune will premiere on September 9.