Pat Sajak Talks ‘Piece of the Puzzle’ That Made ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Successful
Pat Sajak reveals missing 'piece of the puzzle' and discusses what made 'Wheel of Fortune' so successful. ABOVE: Pat Sajak on set of 'Wheel of Fortune.'
Pat Sajak isn't holding back his feelings towards Wheel of Fortune and his colleagues as he prepares for retirement.
The beloved host is set to leave the long-running game show at the end of this week, with his final episode airing on Friday, June 7. Ahead of the bittersweet day, the 77-year-old TV personality sat down for an emotional interview with his daughter, Maggie Sajak, to discuss his tenure on the show and why he thinks it's been such a success.
During the second part of their conversation, Pat recalled that creator Merv Griffin personally called him to take over for the show's original host, Chuck Woolery, who left in 1981 after half a decade on daytime TV and a contract dispute.
Maggie, who is also employed by the show as Wheel of Fortune's social media correspondent, then chimed in to remind her dad of something he once said about when he first started in the position.
"When you first got started, an important piece of the puzzle wasn't there yet," she said. "Vanna [White] wasn't at the puzzle board yet."
After applauding her pun, Pat remembered the first time he saw his now co-star in action.
"And I remember after her audition, she was so nervous. Merv is smarter than I am, and he saw something in her and knew that the nerves would go away."
"And they did," he added, "She's been a joy, and you know, I shudder to think how life could've been different."
Now the "million dollar question," Maggie teased, asking, "What is the secret to 'Wheel's longevity?"
"You know, I get that a lot," he said, noting, "If I knew, I'd be out creating other shows with the same secret and I'd be a wealthy man."
"Oh, wait, I am," he said, laughing, "That's a joke."
Apparently, there's not one reason WoF is so successful, but rather, a culmination of efforts made by a few key people–including Merv's decision to hire Pat and Vanna and, of course, how the two found a way to resonate with audiences, becoming pop culture icons. With Pat leaving, it's up to Ryan Seacrest and the iconic letter-turner to keep it going.
Next: 'Wheel of Fortune' Pays Tribute to Pat Sajak With Highlight Reel Ahead of His Last Episode