Ryan Seacrest is proving to be a worthy successor to Pat Sajak as host of Wheel of Fortune — and he thoroughly prepared for his role. President of Sony game shows, Suzanne Prete spoke to the LA Times about the 50-year-old TV mainstay joining Wheel and gave insight into his preparation.

Nielsen data show “Wheel of Fortune” averaging 7.9 million viewers through Dec. 1, up 3% from a year ago during longtime host Pat Sajak’s final season.

Wheel of Fortune viewers are continuing to tune in en masse for the Ryan Seacrest era. The Los Angeles Times published a new report about the game show’s ratings record since the American Idol host took over for Pat Sajak, and it looks like that initial bump that followed his September debut was no fluke.

Seacrest who has been a huge hit with fans since taking over hosting duties went through rigorous preparation so he wouldn't make mistakes

Notably, the passing of the torch from Sajak to Seacrest has gone well. The former Live with Kelly and Ryan host has been enthusiastic about the milestones he’ll hit and his future on the program, and he’s been open about the advice Sajak and White have given him.