Pat Sajak, the quick-witted Chicago native who has hosted “Wheel of Fortune” since the 1980s, said Monday that he’ll be leaving the show next year.
“Well, the time has come,” Sajak tweeted. “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!)”
After that the 76-year-old TV star will serve as a consultant on the show for three years, says the Hollywood Reporter.
The longest-running game show host in TV history, Sajak has been hosting the syndicated “Wheel of Fortune” alongside letter-turner Vanna White since 1983. He had started with the show two years earlier on NBC’s daytime edition.
Before landing the gig, Sajak worked as a radio host and TV weather forecaster. He grew up in Chicago and graduated from Farragut High School in 1964.
