Longtime “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak’s final episode aired on Friday, June 7, after he had hosted the hit game show for 41 years. Sajak will be leaving his co-host Vanna White, who joined the show in 1982, sharing over 8,000 episodes.
The famous “Wheel of Fortune” host announced last June that he would retire from the game show in the upcoming season. According to recent reports, Ryan Seacrest is set to succeed Sajak. White is set to remain on the show at least through the 2025-2026 season, per a contract extension she signed in September.
Vanna White delivered a touching farewell video message to Sajak, commemorating the “incredible and unforgettable journey” they have shared together for over four decades. The longtime co-star detailed the deep friendship she and Sajak kindled throughout their time together on the show.
“I can’t believe that tomorrow is our last show together. I don’t know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to me, but I’m going to try 8000 episodes went by that when I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and made me so confident. Pat, you made me who I am. You really did. As the years have gone by, we’ve grown up on television, but we’ve also shared so much more behind the scenes, as much fun as we had on camera, those memories, milestones and life events we shared with our families outside the studio are my favorite. We’ve watched our children grow up together. We’ve traveled all over the world. We’ve eaten hundreds of meals together,” White said.
She concluded her farewell message, “We’ve laughed, cried, we’ve celebrated. What an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it with you as this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by. You’re like a brother to me, and I consider you a true life of Fred, who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
The American Tribune recently reported on a behind-the-scenes video that Sajak and his daughter, Maggie, shared with viewers ahead of his retirement. The two gave social media followers a rare glimpse of the “highly classified” set behind the puzzle box.
The soon-to-be-retired host said in the video, “It looks like an election headquarters back here, with all these screens and everything.” He added, “We can’t show a lot, because there’s certain things that are highly classified!”
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Suzanne Prete, Executive Vice President, Game Shows, Sony Pictures Television celebrated the long-time, celebrate Sajak’s retirement with kind words, stating, “As the host of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years.”
“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.”