Here are the Wheel of Fortune has players spin the titular wheel to choose letters to spell out a word or phrase from an often vague clue. It's just tricky enough to be intriguing, but not so hard that it's frustrating.

Originally, Wheel of Fortune had a network daytime version which lasted from 1975 until it was canceled in 1991. The syndicated nighttime version lasted much longer, from 1983 until the present, and is the version of the show most people are familiar with. A consistent ratings leader, Wheel of Fortune has always been a popular series, and though it's mostly ed with Pat Sajak at the wheel, there have been four other hosts throughout the show. Each host has brought something different to the series, whether they were there for years or even just a month.

5 Chuck Woolery

Daytime: 1975-1981

Chuck Woolery was the first host of Wheel of Fortune, ing the daytime series upon its premiere until 1981, at which point he was replaced by Pat Sajak. Woolery began his career as a folk singer before moving into acting and TV hosting, a path that eventually led him to Wheel of Fortune. He became famous for his catchphrase, "We'll be back in 2 and 2" whenever the show went to commercial. Woolery was comparatively mellower than other hosts at the time, often reading off the numbers on the wheel as they spun by.

Woolery often made mistakes, a slip of the tongue here, or a gaff there, but they were always left in the final cut, giving him a more down-to-earth sensibility. Woolery ended up leaving the show in 1981 because of a contract dispute with the show's creator, Merv Griffin (via BestLifeOnline) There's some confusion about how much of a raise Woolery asked for, but it was enough that Griffin denied his request, and fired him.

4 Pat Sajak

Daytime: 1981-1989, Nighttime: 1983-2024

Pat Sajak began hosting the daytime Wheel of Fortune in 1981, and in 1983 he also began doing the nighttime version. While he stopped daytime in 1989, he continued doing the syndicated nighttime series until 2024, making him the longest-serving game show host of the same show, suring even the late, venerable Bob Barker of The Price is Right​​​​​​. His career was capped with his only Emmy win in 2024, when he was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Game Show.

At first, Sajak copied some of Woolery's mannerisms, but he soon developed his own style. Sajak's quirky sense of humor is now well known, and a part of what has made Wheel of Fortune so successful. He was never afraid to make a sarcastic comment or tease a guest. There was an air of playfulness to his episodes that made the game seem much more active than it actually was. His chemistry with Vanna White was late-night talk show host/sidekick-esque and a delight to watch. Sajak retired in 2024, after 40 years on the show (TheWrap).

3 Rolf Benirschke

Daytime: January-June 1989

Rolf Benirschke was a placekicker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League from 1977 to 1986, and after, he hosted Wheel of Fortune for a short stint from January 1989 to June of the same year. He was hired as the replacement for Pat Sajak, after Sajak departed from the daytime series and was selected by Merv Griffin after he saw him on a talk show called A.M. Los Angeles speaking about his struggles with Crohn's disease (via Today).

Benirschke is best known in football circles for the "Epic in Miami" when he missed a game-winning field goal in overtime, but was later given a second chance and connected, resulting in a Chargers victory.

With no TV experience, Benirschke was visibly nervous in his first episodes hosting and was even corrected by guests on a few occasions. However, over time, he developed confidence on screen, even creating catchphrases like "Hurry, hurry!" if the wheel threatened to land on a Bankrupt of Lose A Turn space. When the daytime show moved to CBS from NBC, Benirschke was not asked to remain on the series and his contract was not renewed (via LATimes).

2 Bob Goen

Daytime: 1989-1991

Bob Goen took over daytime Wheel of Fortune hosting duties from Rolf Benirschke in 1989, and he lasted on the show until 1991, when the daytime series was canceled. Goen was an ESPN correspondent in his early days and then moved to Hollywood, where he became a host of several game shows. When Wheel of Fortune returned to air on CBS, Bob Goen was announced as the new host. Goen had a much more reserved style than Sajak.

Bob Goen currently hosts Wheel of Fortune Live!

He was a bit more like Chuck Woolery, more mellow in how he dealt with contestants. Goen and Sajak occasionally appeared on each other's shows, having a friendly relationship, and wishing each other good luck. In late 1990, it was announced that Wheel of Fortune daytime would be canceled the next year to make room for the half-hour series Barbara DeAngelis, a talk show that answers relationship questions posed by the audience (via LATimes).

1 Ryan Seacrest

Nighttime: 2024-Present

Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties for Pat Sajak in 2024, after Pat Sajak retired. Famously, Seacrest was the host of American Idol for years and has been a constant TV presence for years afterward. Seacrest says he has been a fan of the show since he was a kid, and it makes sense that CBS would want to replace the charismatic and recognizable Pat Sajak with someone who has just as much pop culture recognizability.

He brings all the energy only Seacrest can draw on, and he'll likely only get better as host as he gets a few more months of work under his belt.

Seacrest began hosting on September 9, 2024, and has been a solid steward of the series since. He's a much more amiable and ive host than Sajak, always rooting for the competitors and never giving anyone too much grief, even after a silly answer. He brings all the energy only Seacrest can draw on, and he'll likely only get better as host as he gets a few more months of work under his belt.

Alex Trebek & Vanna White Were Temporary Hosts Of Wheel Of Fortune

Alex Trebek of Jeopardy! also had a few short stints on Wheel of Fortune as a guest host, including filling in for Chuck Woolery once and for Pat Sajak once on the daytime series. On April Fool's Day in 1997, Sajak and Vanna White played Wheel of Fortune themselves, with Trebek hosting, bringing his usual dry charm to the show. Sajak also hosted that day's Jeopardy!.

White hosted the show for a few weeks in 2019 while Sajak was recovering from intestinal surgery. Trebek has frequently appeared in publicity shots with Sajak, and he appears to have had a close relationship with the Wheel of Fortune host.