Pat Sajak to Retire as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host
Pat Sajak will end his four-decade run as host of Wheel of Fortune after the 2023-24 season.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak said in a statement Monday. “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!)”
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The 76-year-old Sajak’s retirement from hosting — he’ll serve as a consultant to the show for three years after leaving his on-camera role — will mark the end of an era for Wheel of Fortune: He has hosted the syndicated version of the game show since its debut in 1983, and also hosted a daytime edition on NBC from 1981-89. He and Vanna White are among the most enduring hosts of any TV game show in the medium’s history.
“As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years,” said Suzanne Prete, executive vp game shows at Sony Pictures Television, which produces Wheel of Fortune. “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.”
Sajak was a weatherman at KNBC in Los Angeles when Wheel of Fortune’s creator offered him the job as host of the NBC daytime version of the game show in 1981. White joined him a year later, and in 1983, they became the faces of the evening syndicated Wheel. The show remains one of the most popular on all of broadcast TV, averaging better than 9 million daily viewers most weeks. Sajak has won three Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding game show host and received a lifetime achievement award, along with Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, at the 2011 Daytime Emmys.
Sajak and White also host ABC’s primetime Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which is slated to begin its fourth season in the fall.
There’s no timeline yet for naming a new host.
Bloomberg first reported Sajak’s retirement.
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