Why ‘The Price Is Right’s Drew Carey Didn’t Give Hosting Advice to Ken Jennings & Ryan Seacrest

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Drew Carey knows what it takes to step into the shoes of a game show legend. However, he didn’t pass on any words of wisdom to Ken Jennings and Ryan Seacrest when they took over as hosts of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, respectively.

“Ryan Seacrest certainly doesn’t need my advice!” Carey told TV Insider. “I think Bob [Barker] gave me the best advice. He said, ‘You have to make the show your own, and don’t try to copy me.’ And he’s right. Ken Jennings is doing his own thing.

He should do his own thing. Ryan Seacrest has been in the hosting business forever. He knows how to make it his own thing and have it come from himself authentically. That’s the thing when you’re on TV for an hour every day — you can’t really fake too much. It always comes out one way or the other.”

Carey took over as host of The Price Is Right after Barker’s retirement in 2007. Meanwhile, Jennings was named the permanent host of Jeopardy! in December 2023 following Alex Trebek‘s October 2020 death. At first, the former champion filled in as a guest host, then split the hosting duties with Mayim Bialik beginning in 2021 before he took on the position full-time.

Pat Sajak left Wheel of Fortune in 2024 after hosting the show for more than 40 years. Sony confirmed in 2023 that Seacrest would be his replacement, and the former morning show host took over in September 2024.

On his first day, Seacrest got some friendly advice from Sajak and longtime letter flipper Vanna White. “Pat and Vanna both said to me when I first got here, ‘The best part is you’re going to meet three new people every night, and they walk away with cash!’” he dished on Good Morning America.

He also assured viewers he wouldn’t be changing things up from the way they were done with Sajak at the helm. “Don’t make any changes. Don’t touch it. This show works,” Seacrest explained. “All I need to do is keep it moving. And all we need to do is have fun every night. If that happens, then I think this show continues for a long time.”