American Idol fans get not only a new episode tonight, but also a surprise guest. And we don’t mean Jelly Roll (although yes, him too.) Longtime host Ryan Seacrest has revealed Vanna White, of Wheel of Fortune fame, will make a brief appearance during Monday’s (April 8) episode.
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It’s An ‘American Idol’/’Wheel of Fortune Crossover
Seacrest broke the news during an interview with ABC News’ Will Reeve that aired during Monday’s (April 8) Good Morning America segment.
“A legend, a household name, a superstar named Vanna White is making a cameo on ‘American Idol,'” Seacrest said. “She’s watched for years and she’s gonna co-host a little bit with me on the next ‘Idol’ Monday.”
Entertainment Weekly reported that White will appear briefly to help Seacrest introduce a contestant’s performance.
If it seems like Seacrest has been on your TV screen forever, the Idol host has nothing on Vanna White. The former pageant queen, 67, has hosted the perennial hit game show Wheel of Fortune since 1982.
Seeing the pair onscreen together will give Wheel of Fortune watchers a taste of what’s to come. Seacrest will join White later this year on the game show when he takes over for retiring host Pat Sajak. Sajak, 77, announced last year that season 41 would be his last. Sajak’s final episode airs June 7.
Seacrest has not publicly commented on what this new role means for his future on Idol.
Jelly Roll Will Mentor Top 24 Contestants on ‘Idol’
American Idol is officially down to its final 24 contestants. Last night, former Idol hopeful Tori Kelly appeared as a guest mentor to 12 of those remaining 24. Tonight, country superstar Jelly Roll will mentor the second half.
Jelly Roll has experienced a meteoric rise in the country music industry. However, that success didn’t come overnight. The 39-year-old Tennessee native got his start selling hip-hop mixtapes out of his car. Nearly 20 years later, Jelly finally found his footing with his 2023 country debut Whitsitt Chapel.
[RELATED: Jelly Roll Reveals What He Brings to the Table As an Expert Mentor on ‘American Idol’]
“I feel like I bring a lot of experience in the form of failure to the table,” Jelly told People of his role on Idol. “I think that’s something they’re going to have to be familiar with because that’s what it takes to get good. You got to do it wrong a thousand times.”
Featured image by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
