Jared Leto gave Wheel of Fortune fans the ultimate April Fools’ Day surprise.
The Oscar winner, 53, put his hosting skills to the test by replacing Pat Sajak at the top of the game show’s Monday, April 1, episode. “Ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show, Jared Leto and Vanna White,” the show’s announcer stated as Leto and White, 67, were welcomed with applause from the audience.
Leto complemented White’s black jumpsuit ensemble by sporting a classic black suit, white dress shirt and a patterned tie. “Thank you and have a great show. See you soon,” he told White before heading over to greet contestants at the wheel.
“All right everybody, grab those devices. It’s time to give away some money,” Leto continued. “$1,000 in our first toss-up. The category is ‘One the Map.’”
After the screen flashed to the board for the clue, the broadcast switched back over to Sajak, 77, as host without addressing Leto’s cameo.
Leto shared a clip of his brief Wheel of Fortune appearance via his Instagram Story on Monday, asking fans, “How’d I do? 🤣.”
Monday’s episode of the long-running game show was not the first time Leto stopped by Wheel of Fortune. He and his brother Shannon Leto recruited Sajak and White to help announce their band Thirty Seconds to Mars’ 2024 Seasons World Tour.
In a November 2023 sketch shared via the band’s YouTube, Jared and Shannon, 54, played contestants trying to guess the clue for the category “Show Biz.” The answer was revealed to be, “Thirty Seconds to Mars World Tour!”
While Jared temporarily filled in for Sajak on Monday’s Wheel of Fortune episode, Ryan Seacrest will take over his hosting role following the show’s 2023-2024 season. Sajak announced in June 2023 that he will be retiring from the series at the end of this season after more than 40 years with the show.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he said in a statement at the time. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
White took to X to praise her costar following his retirement news, writing, “When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later? I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!”
Seacrest, for his part, said in a press release that he is “humbled” to be following in Sajak’s footsteps. “Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition,” the American Idol host, 49, gushed.
Following rumors about salary negotiations and whether White’s role would be eliminated following Sajak’s exit, she signed a two-year contract extension in September 2023 to stay on Wheel of Fortune through the 2025-2026 season.
