Jared Leto left 'Wheel of Fortune' fans stunned by taking over as host — then came an unexpected twist

"Wheel of Fortune" has been one of the favorite game shows for generations of American TV viewers, and it naturally attracts celebrities as well. Before Ryan Seacrest replaced Pat Sajak as the face of the show, audiences were surprised by Jared Leto who once appeared on "Wheel of Fortune" as a host, to add the accomplishment on his resume as an A-list Hollywood star. Audiences never saw it coming and were stunned when the 52-year-old replaced Pat Sajak one fine day and walked onto the stage with Vanna White. The contestants were also starstruck along with the audience when the "Mr. Nobody" actor joined them on the set.

However, Leto did not say anything that might explain his presence on the popular television game show. The announcer called out his name like he was the regular host and the Academy Award-winning actor went about hosting the show like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Alright everybody, grab those devices. It’s time to give away some money,” he said to the contestants as he explained the game to them as per CNN.

When the show resumed, Leto was nowhere to be seen and Sajak was back where viewers expected him to be. This was after the veteran host had already announced that he was going to step down, and before Ryan Seacrest took over as the new host. So it was no surprise that rumors started doing the rounds that Leto could be the replacement. However, those rumors were put to rest as everyone fell for the oldest trick in the book.

Mot Leto's First Time on Wheel of Fortune

Leto was on the April 1, 2024 episode of Wheel of Fortune which meant that it was all an April Fool’s prank. This was not the first time the actor had appeared on the show either. Earlier, he and his brother Shannon Leto (also the drummer of “30 Seconds to Mars”) were part of a video in which they had announced their band’s world tour plans. Sajak and White were a part of it as well.

At the time, the actor had sent out a tweet in which he thanked the hosts and everyone at Wheel of Fortune for allowing them to be the “worst contestants ever.” Sajak seemed happy in the video and is one of the many memorable moments he has had as a host on the show. There is no doubt that he enjoyed doing what he did but he made sure to take a substantial paycheck for his services.

According to reports, the veteran television host, back in 2016, was getting paid an incredible  $15 million per season. What makes this figure all the more massive is that he only worked four days a month. He also boasts an enviable real-estate portfolio. The veteran owns a 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom Los Angeles house which is worth around nearly $7 million to $10 million today. As the face of the iconic show, he had bought it decades back in 1988.