‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Reveals Plans to Give Away $1 Million Jackpot
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Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest has some big plans in mind to celebrate the game show’s upcoming 50th anniversary.
Next year will mark five decades since Wheel of Fortune debuted, and Seacrest is hoping 2025 will bring with it some major good luck for future Wheel contestants. Part of his plan is to give away $1 million, which has only happened three times (plus once on the Celebrity edition) throughout the show’s 50 years on air.
Speaking to Good Morning America on the red carpet at the 2024 KIIS FM’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball event on Friday (December 6), Seacrest revealed how he intends to commemorate Wheel‘s milestone year.
“I plan to walk out and give away a lot of money to celebrate the 50 years,” he said. “Hopefully we give away a million dollars. I want that million dollar wedge to make it to the end so somebody gets to win that.”
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The $1 million wedge was introduced in 2008 and has only been won three times since then. The first contestant to snag the $1 million was Michelle Loewenstein Moore, a floral designer from New Jersey, who correctly answered her Bonus Puzzle in 2008 and became the biggest money winner in the show’s history at that point with $1,026,080.
Autumn Erhard, a sales representative from Orange County, California, became the second $1 million winner in 2013, followed by Sarah Manchester, a middle school math teacher from Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2014.
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In addition, Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart walked away with the $1 million for charity on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune in 2021.
Seacrest has been longing to give away the $1 million ever since taking over hosting duties from Pat Sajak, who officially retired from the long-running game show back in June. After a fan on Instagram commented that they were anticipating the first $1 million winner in the “Seacrest Era,” the American Idol host replied, “I can’t wait for that moment!”
He told GMA that it surprised him just how much he gets excited about contestants winning big prizes. “I knew I’d be excited, but I love it when someone wins a big amount of money or a car and it’s just a life changing half hour for people,” he shared.
Whether or not someone becomes a Wheel millionaire next year, Seacrest revealed he is just happy being part of such an iconic show. “But just the fact that it’s been a part of my life in so many people’s lives for so long, is special,” he stated. “With great memories thinking about Wheel of Fortune growing up, and I want to create more great memories as it goes forward.”
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