Pat Sajak 'giving Ryan Seacrest the cold shoulder' after 'forced' Wheel of Fortune retirement

Pat Sajak has been giving Ryan Seacrest the cold shoulder after he was "forced to retire" , according to reports.

While it initially seemed that the Wheel Of Fortune host was happy to hand over the reins to Ryan after announcing his retirement at the start of last season, sources are now claiming that his departure wasn't necessarily planned after all. As Ryan picks up his mantle working alongside Vanna White, the American Idol host has been struggling to build a connection with her.

Sources say, however, that he won't be able to reach out to Pat for any help or tips on how to find his stride on the show as the former host doesn't have time to offer any help. An insider claimed: "He's too busy having fun with all this newfound free time he's got."

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However, it seems the lack of availability could also run a little deeper as it has been suggested that he has some resentment towards Ryan for personal reasons. They continued to Closer: "There's no denying there's a bitter satisfaction behind his motives... clearly resentful of the way he was treated and then kicked off the show."

The insider went on to describe Pat's departure from Wheel Of Fortune as a "forceful retirement," implying that he was pushed out by the network rather than voluntarily hanging up his hat. The source implied that the show was headed for a refresh with a younger face at the helm meaning that Pat has now washed his hands of any responsibility he may have felt he had for it.

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They added: "Ryan can reach out to Pat if he wants but asking isn't getting. Pat's always going to be busy, or he'll brush Ryan off with a neutral, 'You got this'. When Ryan takes over, Pat's going to be watching and enjoying seeing how he fares in the hot seat which is full of challenges and not nearly as easy as he might think."

They also detailed how "Ryan knows he's got huge shoes to fill being a worthy replacement for Pat," adding that "he's in full Mr. Nice Guy mode, putting on the charm, lavishing Vanna and everyone else on the show with his homemade cooking, bringing treats." They also noted that Ryan "is making a huge effort with Vanna and trying to win favor by taking her out to dinner and trying to get through any lingering tensions they've got."