Pat Sajak announced Monday he’s leaving “Wheel of Fortune,” the iconic game show he’s hosted since 1981.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak tweeted. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
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!)
— Pat Sajak (@PatOnWheel) June 12, 2023
In 2019, Guinness World Records recognized Sajak, 76, as having the longest career as a game show host for the same show. “Wheel of Fortune,” which pits three players against each other to guess the unknown words in a puzzle, is also the country’s longest-running syndicated game show and has taped more than 7,000 episodes.
Sajak’s co-host, Vanna White, has been on the show nearly as long as Sajak, having joined the broadcast in 1982.
Sajak indicated in an interview last summer that his tenure on the show was winding down.
“It appears I may go before the show,” he told Entertainment Tonight, adding, “Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end.”
“In most television shows by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s probably enough,’ but this show will not die,” he joked.
Sajak and White have also hosted a spinoff, “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” since 2021.