Although Wheel of Fortune has been on the air stretching back to 1975, Pat Sajak has been co-hosting the nighttime syndicated version with Vanna White since 1983. It’s impossible to not think of the long-running game show without Sajak immediately coming to mind, but we’ll soon need to start doing so. That’s because he’s announced that he’ll be retiring from Wheel of Fortune following its upcoming season.
Wheel of Fortune returns for Season 41 this fall, so there are still many episodes to look forward to with Pat Sajak holding down the fort while Vanna White presents the letters on the board. After the season is finished though, he’ll exit the TV show. Here’s what the host had to say about the matter on Twitter:
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!)
Although this is a major shakeup in the world of game shows, it doesn’t come as a complete surprise. In September 2022, it sounded like Pat Sajak was mentally preparing to leave Wheel of Fortune, and this past March, he acknowledged that “the end is near.” Soon after that, Vanna White shared that she couldn’t “imagine” whether the show would continue without her and Sajak together. While there was no word about if White will also leave Wheel of Fortune with Sajak, losing one-half of this duo at a bare minimum is still a big deal.
In addition to having hosted the current version of Wheel of Fortune for four decades, Sajak also a daytime edition that aired on NBC from 1981 to 1989. Although Season 41 will be the last time he carries out his hosting duties, Suzanne Prete, the executive vice president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, informed Variety that Sajak will remain associated with the show as a consultant for three years afterwards. In addition to the upcoming season of the main show, Sajak and White have been teaming together on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune since 2021, and it was renewed for a fourth season last month.
As of this writing, a timetable hasn’t been set for when Pat Sajak’s replacement on Wheel of Fortune will be announced, but we’ll pass that information along once it’s announced. Until then, browse through our 2023 TV schedule to catch up to speed on programming currently airing or arriving soon.
