Pat Sajak, the long-time host of Wheel of Fortune, has announced his retirement.
After 43 years, Sajak will leave the show on Friday, June 7, when the final episode of him as s host would air, Entertainment Weekly confirms. The farewell episode will coincide with the current season 41’s finale.
For his role as a host, Sajak received 19 Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning three.
He has been part of Wheel of Fortune since its 1983 nighttime debut but has also hosted the daytime edition from 1981 to 1989.
In the statement he issued last summer, Sajak said, “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!)”
Stepping down from his role doesn’t mean Sajak would be leaving TV entirely. On the contrary, he will stay on as a consultant for three years. The network quickly chose Ryan Seacrest as Sajak’s replacement for season 42, with Seacrest also taking on the role of consulting producer.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said of the new gig. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
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 (@PatOnWheel) June 12, 2023
Leading up to his last episode, Wheel of Fortune will air a series of episodes titled “Thanks for the Memories” in honor of the longtime host.
Vanna White will remain with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ through 2025-26 though she admitted it was hard to envision the show without Sajak. “Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna,” White told PEOPLE in 2022. “We’re like Ken and Barbie, you know? We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years.”
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