It looks like Pat Sajak is ready to leave “Wheel of Fortune” sooner than expected — or so it seemed.
The April 1 episode of the popular game show opened with Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto coming onto the set with Vanna White as part of an April Fools’ Day joke.
“Ladies and gentlemen, here are the stars of our show — Jared Leto and Vanna White,” the announcer said as the pair walked out arm in arm, as they waved to the audience.
The duo then thanked everybody.
“Thank you and have a great show. See you soon,” Leto told White before she walked to the puzzle board and he sauntered over to the spot where Sajak customarily stands by the contestants.
“Alright everybody, grab those devices. It’s time to give away some money,” he told the three contestants. “A thousand dollars in our first toss-up. The category is on the map,” he said, with no one acknowledging the prank.
The show then resumed with Sajak taking over with no mention of what happened. However, underneath the "Wheel of Fortune" clip shared on their YouTube, the description reads, "Did you notice anything different in tonight’s show?! #AprilFools"
Leto is a pretty busy guy. In addition to a stellar acting career, he also fronts the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, which has experience with “Wheel of Fortune.” Last fall, he and his brother, bandmate Shannon Leto, appeared in a cheeky video in which they were contestants on the show — with Sajak and White taking part — to announce the band's 2024 world tour.
Leto, of course, will not be taking over for Sajak on “Wheel of Fortune.” Sajak, who announced his departure last June from the show, will be replaced by Ryan Seacrest, beginning this September.
“My version will be the version that is,” Seacrest told Willie Geist during their “Sunday Sitdown” episode last September. “The game works. All you want to do is walk in and say, ‘Good evening, grab your devices and here's the first puzzle.’”
Seacrest also made sure to acknowledge the job his predecessor has done.
“Pat Sajak is an icon in this business, and he’s made (Wheel of Fortune) so comfortable for everybody to watch,” he said. “I’m like a kid so excited about just seeing the set, you know, to walk out on that set.”