Legendary Wheel of Fortune host, Pat Sajak,
has announced his retirement from the show, ending a four-decade run on the classic game
show. Fans of the long-time TV personality have
expressed sadness that their favorite host won’t be on their TV’s every day, though
they are taking solace in the fact that he’s been a part of the TV landscape for so long. Sajak has hinted at retirement for quite a
while now and has finally said that it’s time. In this video, we’ll take a look at his
reasons for retiring, as well as who might take over the job. And we’ll look at his history on the show,
as well as his long-time cohort, Vanna White! Pat’s Sajak’s Retirement
For the past few years, retirement has been on Pat Sajak’s mind. Partly because he’s getting up there in
years – the host is currently 76 – and partly because it’s something he has constantly
been asked about recently. And up until now, he’s been vague about
his answers, saying only that he wouldn’t be hosting the show forever, and that at some
point he’d call it a day. Like in 2021, when, in an interview alongside
Vanna White, he mused that they definitely wouldn’t be there ten years later, in 2031. Vanna White agreed with that sentiment. So at the very least, fans all over knew this
was coming at some point. In an announcement on his Twitter, Sajak wrote,
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which
begins in September, will be my last.” The tweet added: “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!)” Naturally, social media has been buzzing about
the news, with fans chiming in to share their appreciation for Sajak, and what he’s meant
to the landscape of the game show in America, as well as his role in shaping popular culture
over the years. And at the same time there are many questions
as to what the future holds for Wheel of Fortune. Suzanne Prete, the VP of game shows for SONY,
confirmed that after Pat leaves, he’ll continue on as a consultant for the show for three
years. But obviously, that will be a role behind
the scenes. So they’ll need to find a replacement for
him as host beginning after next season. Pat’s Career
Pat was born on October 26, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois. His early life saw him develop an interest
in broadcasting from a young age. While attending Columbia College Chicago,
he worked at a local radio station and gained valuable experience in the field. His passion for broadcasting led him to enlist
in the U.S. Army, where he served as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio in Vietnam. After his military service, Sajak's career
in broadcasting began to take shape. He worked as a radio DJ and weatherman in
Nashville, Tennessee, before his big break came in 1981 when he was selected to replace
Chuck Woolery as the host of "Wheel of Fortune." Sajak's charismatic personality, quick wit,
and ability to connect with contestants and viewers endeared him to audiences, and he
has remained the host of the show ever since. As the host of "Wheel of Fortune," Sajak has
become an integral part of the show's success. His friendly and engaging demeanor, along
with his skill in keeping the game flowing smoothly, have contributed to the program's
enduring popularity. Sajak's tenure on the show has earned him
numerous awards and accolades, including several Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show
Host. Beyond his work on "Wheel of Fortune," Sajak
has made guest appearances on various television shows and has served as a fill-in host for
other game shows. He has also hosted his own short-lived talk
show, "The Pat Sajak Show," which aired in the late 1980s. Throughout his career, Pat Sajak has become
a familiar face on television screens across America, entertaining millions of viewers
with his wit and charm. Will Vanna Take Over? There has been some speculation that Vanna
White might take the reigns as host. After all, she knows the game as well as anyone,
having worked as Pat’s cohost for 40 years as well. But at the same time, at 66 years old, she’s
potentially nearing retirement age as well. So it seems unlikely that the network would
want to start a new era of hosting with someone who might look to leave before too long. Plus, she and Pat Sajak are so intertwined
in the minds of the American public, it might be hard for people to make the adjustment
to only seeing Vanna. And yet, that was the case recently, when
Vanna hosted the show for a brief stint. Pat had to undergo surgery in 2019, and was
unable to host during his recovery. So Vanna took over as host while he recuperated,
and did an excellent job. Her charm and appeal are legendary, so it
was no surprise that she was a capable host. So it remains to be seen whether she’ll
be strongly considered for the gig. Vanna began her time on Wheel in 1982. As legend has it, it all started with the
taping of an episode of a show called Dance Fever. Vanna appeared as a dancer on the show, which
was produced by Merv Griffin, the same man that produced Wheel of Fortune. During production, the two were randomly introduced. Merv was so impressed by Vanna’s charisma
and look, he called her not long after and asked her if she wanted to audition for the
role of co-host on Wheel of Fortune. Vanna jumped at the opportunity. The news came on Thanksgiving Day, and Vanna
was given the job by the end of the year. And although Vanna is certainly the most iconic
letter turner to ever grace Wheel of Fortune, she wasn’t the first. Before Vanna was given her co-hosting job
in 1982, Susan Stafford fulfilled the role. Reportedly, Susan despised the position, feeling
that it was below her. Vanna, on the other hand, was incredibly grateful
to take her place. When Merv Griffin was asked why he picked
Vanna over all of the other women that had auditioned to replace Susan, he said that
it was because she turned the letters the best. Pat’s Daughter, Maggie Sajak
There has also been a lot of speculation in recent years that Maggie Sajak, Pat’s daughter,
might be in line to take over hosting duties for Wheel of Fortune. After seeing a clip of Pat and Maggie bantering
during a Wheel of Fortune trivia segment, viewers began to suspect that 28-year-old
Maggie may very well be next in line for the Wheel of Fortune crown. Maggie Marie Sajak has spent the majority
of her adult life performing as a country music singer. Her musical style has been compared to artists
like Jewel and Michelle Branch, although you can also distinctly hear influences from country
stars like Carrie Underwood and Sheryl Crow. Maggie was born in 1995 and grew up in Severna
Park, Maryland. At age 12, she picked up the guitar and started
taking lessons. She released her first single "First Kiss"
in 2011. In January 2012, the music video for First
Kiss, which was directed by the award-winning director Trey Fanjoy, was featured on an episode
of Wheel of Fortune to mark Maggie's 17th birthday. Maggie went on to record several other singles,
one of which was featured in the season finale of the series Sweet Home Alabama. In 2013, while in her freshman year at Princeton,
Maggie did a fashion shoot for Teen Vogue. Flash forward to January 2020, Maggie first
appeared on Wheel of Fortune, filling in for Vanna White as letter-turner for a week when
White was hosting Wheel in place of Pat, who was recovering from surgery. Then in 2021, Maggie officially joined the
Wheel of Fortune team as a social media correspondent. Will Maggie Take Over As Host? Fans of the game show have focused on Pat’s
recent remarks about Maggie's hosting skills. In a clip from the "Holiday Trivia with Pat
& Vanna" special, which aired in December 2022, Maggie took over as host while quizzing
Pat and Vanna with some festive holiday-related questions. After putting their knowledge to the test
with prompts about Santa Clause's various nicknames and other bits of Yule Tide trivia,
Maggie received high praise from her father. At the end of the December 27, 2022 episode,
Pat reflected on his daughter's hosting chops while telling her that she was 'actually a
good host'. His seemingly innocuous remark renewed intense
speculation that Maggie was being groomed to take over as the next Wheel of Fortune
host. Fans online have also speculated about the
potential for Maggie instead taking over Vanna White's letter-turning duties. After Maggie joined the Wheel family in 2021
as a social media correspondent, she made several appearances on the program both onstage
and in behind-the-scenes clips. As of yet, she hasn't been given any substantial
duties outside of presumably managing Tik Tok and Instagram accounts. Still, some fans believe that her role on
the show, albeit minor, is a path toward her eventually hosting the program. When Maggie was initially hired, hordes of
bloggers, journalists, and Hollywood insiders voiced their opinion that her social media
role was merely an attempt to introduce her to the Wheel of Fortune audience before Vanna
inevitably retires. Since she filled in for her in 2020, she's
already had a bit of practice performing her duties. Of course, with the focus these days on so
called “nepo babies,” there will be some inevitable backlash if the show does indeed
decide to include Maggie as either a letter-turner or as the primary host. Now it’s time to hear from you. What’s your favorite memory of Pat Sajak’s
time as host of Wheel? Who do you think should be the next host? Let us know in the comments section below!
