After 41 seasons spanning 43 years, Pat Sajak’s time as host of “Wheel of Fortune” will come to an end in less than three weeks.
Sajak has already recorded his last episodes, and his last show will air in June.
Pat Sajak’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ legacy
The beloved “Wheel of Fortune” host announced last year his plans to retire as host of the show.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak said at the time. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
Sajak, who has had a four-decade run on the show, took over hosting duties in 1981 when the show aired on network daytime television. He was joined a year later by Vanna White. In 1983, the nighttime version of the show was launched and became one of the top-rated syndicated TV programs.
Who’s taking over for Pat Sajak on ‘Wheel of Fortune’?
White will continue to co-host one of the most popular game shows in television history, and Ryan Seacrest will take over for Sajak. Seacrest will also remain the host of “American Idol.”
White, the show’s puzzle board handler, is in until the 2025-2026 season, with a reported contract extension through that time.
When White is out, Sajak’s 28-year-old daughter Maggie will reportedly fill in on occasion.
“I think she’s a good replacement if I can’t be there for some reason,” White told E! News last year. “She’s been around it her whole life, so I think she can fill in for me for sure.”
Pat Sajak’s final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episodes
Sajak’s last “Wheel of Fortune” show will air June 7. It will cap a week of shows themed “Thanks for the Memories” in honor of the 77-year-old.
The show’s producers have collected some of Sajak’s funniest moments for those final episodes.
What will Pat Sajak do after ‘Wheel of Fortune’
After leaving “Wheel of Fortune,” Sajak will reportedly continue his work as chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Pat Sajak Pays Tribute to His ‘Professional Other Half’ Vanna White on Final “Wheel of Fortune” Episode
While he will no longer be hosting the game show by White’s side, Sajak assured fans the two would be seeing “plenty of each other”
(L) Vanna White and Pat Sajak on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Pat Sajak is taking his final bow on Wheel of Fortune but not before thanking his right-hand woman, Vanna White.
On Friday, June 7, the famed game show host, 77, concluded his 40 year tenure on Wheel of Fortune with a touching speech where he expressed his gratitude to his loyal viewers, his cast and crew, and his family members.
After paying his dues to the village of people who made Wheel of Fortune into what it is today, he addressed his longtime co-host, White.
“Finally, to my professional other half, dear Vanna,” he said. “Like me, she takes the show very seriously but not herself. I shudder to think what these 40 years might have been like had they brought someone in all full of themselves, playing the prima donna role.”
Describing her “as sweet and unassuming” as she seems on camera, Sajack reflected on the many “changes” seen in each other’s lives. Despite the peaks and valleys they’ve endured, he noted how “we’ve always been there for each other.”
“I wanna thank her for her lovely goodbye on yesterday’s show,” he continued, referencing White’s touching tribute from the episode before. “While I’ll very much miss working with her, I take solace in the fact that we live about five miles apart so we’ll see plenty of each other. But I will miss our nightly closes and her laughter and her good nature.”
“She’s a very special woman and I know you’re all pleased to know she’ll be back next season,” he added.
(L) Vanna White and Pat Sajak
Sajak, who began hosting Wheel of Fortune in 1981, first announced his retirement in June 2023. He wrote via X (formerly Twitter), “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my lastIt’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”
Weeks later, Ryan Seacrest was confirmed as his replacement with White resuming her duties alongside him.
In a tribute video released on Thursday, June 6, White reflected on the time the two have spent together on the game show.
“I don’t know how to put into words what these past 40 years have meant to me but I’m going to try,” she said to Sajak. “8000 episodes went by like that. When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and so confident, Pat. You made me who I am, you really did.”
“As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by,” she added later in the video. “You’re like a brother to me and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
