“She’s everything you think Vanna White will be when you meet her,” Seacrest tells PEOPLE
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Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest. Photo: Chris Patey/CBS
Ryan Seacrest is sharing what Vanna White is really like — and his answer won’t disappoint!
Seacrest, 50, spoke with PEOPLE on Dec. 30, ahead of the 2025 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special, where he reflected on the past year. One of his most memorable moments was taking over Pat Sajak’s hosting gig on Wheel of Fortune, and the television personality says White, 67, is who truly made him feel at home.
“She’s so super generous and sweet and kind,” he gushes, going on to tell a story of a kind gesture White made recently. “She even brought me — because I was saying, I drink very strong black coffee and my teeth, sometimes you can see it — she brought me white strips. She brought me white strips. She went to the store the next day. She brought me white strips.”
“She is an institution, an icon,” he adds. “She’s amazing. She’s everything you think Vanna White will be when you meet her!”
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Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White.Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty
Seacrest stepped into the role in September following Sajak’s retirement from Wheel of Fortune after a 40-year run. White, who has been on the game show for just as long, returned to her longtime position, and Seacrest has previously opened up about how she helped usher him into the position.
“I can’t imagine Wheel of Fortune without Vanna White. It doesn’t seem right, especially if there’s going to be a new host,” he told PEOPLE earlier this year. He even noted that they were having “a magical time together.”
Along with all the excitement, Seacrest also admitted that he was nervous to take the place of such an iconic host, saying he “studied the rule book” after getting the job.
“I’ve rehearsed in conference rooms all over the country, depending on where I am doing work,” he shared at the time. “We travel with a little wheel that we homemade to play, and I feel ready.”
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Ryan Seacrest.CBS
On his debut episode on Sept. 9, he opened with a speech thanking the live audience for their “very warm welcome.” He then said that “hosting Wheel of Fortune is a dream job.”
“Welcome to Wheel of Fortune. I am your host, Ryan Seacrest,” he declared. “I still can’t believe my luck being here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you and of course, my good friend, Vanna White.”
“I’ve been a fan of this show since I was a kid, watching in Atlanta with my family, and I know how special it is that Wheel has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years, and I’m just so grateful to be invited in,” he continued. “I also know I’ve got some very big shoes to fill, so let’s play Wheel of Fortune!“
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, on the other hand, is nothing new to Seacrest. This will be his 20th year hosting the iconic show, and his second co-hosting with Rita Ora. After getting his start hosting alongside the late Dick Clark himself, Seacrest tells PEOPLE, “It feels like it’s gone by pretty fast.”
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