Pat Sajak Announces ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Retirement After More Than 40 Years as Host

usmagazine.com:

A fortunate run. Pat Sajak announced he is retiring from his long-running career as the host of Wheel of Fortune.“Well, the time has come,” the game show host, 76, said in a statement to Bloomberg News on Monday, June 12. “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.”Before the making the official announcement, the Chicago native hinted at his inevitable departure during a September 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight.“We’re getting near the end,” the game show legend told the outlet at the time. “We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years.

The end is near.”The beloved daytime program debuted in 1975 with Chuck Woolery as the host. Sajak began hosting in 1981, meaning he has helmed the popular series for almost its entire run on the air.In order to view the video, please allow Manage Cookies“It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long,” Sajak told ET. “People were out there welcoming us.

We’re happy and proud.”The Daytime Emmy winner also joked that he “may go before the show” goes off the air. “In most television shows by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s probably enough,’ but this show will not die,” he added.Sajak broke the Guinness World Record for longest-running game show host in 2019 — surpassing Bob Barker, who hosted The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007.