VetFamily: Ryan Seacrest

Household name Ryan Seacrest will make new regular appearances in the homes of viewers of one of the most popular game shows next month. The son of an Army veteran, Seacrest will begin hosting the 42nd season of “Wheel of Fortune” in September, taking over for longtime host Pat Sajak. Sajak served in the Army in Vietnam as a DJ for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, and hosted the family favorite TV show for four decades.

Ryan Seacrest was announced as his predecessor in June 2023 and he shot his first episode July 16, 2024. His television career launched more than 20 years ago, shooting him to fame by hosting the hit series “American Idol,” which he hosted for 20 seasons and received several  Emmy Awards nominations for. He was most recently the co-host of the morning show “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” which he took over in May 2017. 

The Atlanta native will turn 50 this Christmas Eve, and his career to this point has been full of milestones. He hosted the nationally-syndicated daily radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest, is the host and executive producer of ABC’s New Years’ Rockin Eve and E! Live from the Red Carpet, and he produces Keeping Up with the Kardashians through his Emmy-winning production company, Ryan Seacrest Productions. He finds time to chair the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which allows children at pediatric hospitals across the country to express themselves through broadcasting and entertainment. 

Where does Seacrest get his ceaseless work ethic? It is no surprise that he comes from a military family. Both of his grandfathers fought in WWII, and his father, Gary Lee Seacrest, served in the United States Army. Gary trained at Fort Benning, on the Alabama-Georgia border. After he had finished Officer Candidate School, Gary received word that he would be stationed in West Berlin, Germany. It was 1969, during the Vietnam War, and he was in a serious relationship with Ryan Seacrest’s mother, Connie. “I wasn’t sure she should marry a soldier with the Vietnam War going on,” Gary said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, “but we decided to do it and spend some time together before whatever would happen.”

The couple has now been married for 47 years. Ryan Seacrest, despite his many professional obligations, always makes time to visit with his parents and sister, Meredith. “I look at what my mom and dad have had for 40-plus years – a fantastic relationship and great marriage,” Seacrest said in an interview with People Magazine. “Someday I’d like that. They’re my role models.”

Ryan has supported the military through his involvement in Clear Channel’s iHeart Radio show “Show Your Stripes” the largest public service program in the company’s history. Seacrest came together with celebs like Kelly Clarkson and John Legend to address the issue of veteran unemployment. “The men and women who have served our country have picked up qualities in the military that any employer would covet – loyalty, reliability, dedication and so many others,” said Ryan Seacrest in a radio spot.

On Veterans Day last year, he posted a photo of his dad on the app X, smiling in uniform with the caption, “Saluting all veterans and my father, Lieutenant Gary Seacrest.”