(WJW) — It’s the end of an era. After 41 years, Pat Sajak’s final “Wheel of Fortune” is set to air this week.
Sajak announced his retirement last year, saying “the time has come” and that hosting the show has “been a wonderful ride.”
Sajak began hosting “Wheel” in 1981 after serving as a meteorologist at KNBC in Los Angeles. A year later, Vanna White joined the show, and the pair quickly became mainstays in living rooms across the U.S.
Their last show together — which has already been recorded — will air Friday after a week of shows themed “Thanks for the Memories.” That will include some of Sajak’s funniest moments compiled by the show’s producers.
White will continue to co-host the show after reportedly signing a contract extension, keeping her “at the iconic puzzleboard through the 2025-26 season.” The 67-year-old hinted last year that another Sajak could potentially serve as her replacement.
Taking over the hosting roles of “Wheel of Fortune” will be Ryan Seacrest, who will also continue hosting “American Idol.”
“I am truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them,” Seacrest said in a statement last June.
As for Sajak, the decision to retire came after “thinking about [it] for a long time,” he told NewsNation local affiliate KHON in June 2023.
“It’s not like I woke up the other day and said, ‘You know, it’s over.’ So there’s that. But it’s mixed emotions sure,” he explained, adding that he would still “take projects if they come.”
“But I suspect most of my time will be whittling on the front porch, but I don’t know how to whittle and I don’t have a front porch so that’ll be a challenge,” he said.
Jeremy Tanner contributed to this report.
