Pat Sajak is one of the most successful game show hosts in television history.
He has hosted Wheel of Fortune for 41 years and helped make it a staple of American television.
But Pat Sajak just made the one announcement Wheel of Fortune fans feared the most.
Pat Sajak is saying goodbye
On June 12, host Pat Sajak announced he is saying goodbye to Wheel of Fortune after 41 years.
The legendary game show host shared the news in a statement and Twitter post.
“Well, the time has come,” Sajak wrote. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’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!)”
Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’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!)
— Pat Sajak (@patsajak) June 12, 2023
According to Sony Pictures Television producer Suzanne Prete, who produces Wheel of Fortune, Sajak will be leaving hosting duties, but will continue to contribute as a consultant.
“As the host of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years,” Prete wrote. “We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season.”
“Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ family!” she added.
One of the most successful hosts in TV history
Sajak first joined Wheel of Fortune in 1981 as the emcee for the show’s daytime edition, before ultimately taking over nighttime duties in 1983.
He helped take the show to new heights, making it one of the most popular shows in American television history.
The host received a whopping 19 Daytime Emmy nominations, and won the Daytime Emmy for outstanding game show host three times throughout his career.
In 2016, Sajak was reported to be earning $15 million per season to host the show, and he currently has an estimated net worth of more than $70 million – not bad for a game show host.
Of course, in addition to hosting Wheel of Fortune, Sajak also has some other acting credits.
In 1983, he even had a guest role on the popular daytime soap Days of Our Lives, as well as numerous other shows in roles that typically were a parody of himself.
He appeared on such staples as The King of Queens, The A-Team, The Larry Sanders Show, and even on the popular children’s cartoon Rugrats.
Fans left wondering about co-star Vanna White
Just two years ago, Sajak and his co-host, Vanna White, told Access Hollywood when the time came to retire, they would likely both “walk off into the sunset at the same time.”
White added at the time that she couldn’t imagine doing the show without her longtime co-host.
But so far, White has remained quiet about her plans now that Sajak has announced his departure.
And fans are left wondering if Vanna White has flipped her last letter.
