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Since 1981, Pat Sajak has anchored \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d with an affable and even disposition. On Friday, viewers will see him give the big wheel his final spin, capping one of the most impressive runs in television history \u2014 and the longest ever for the host of a nationally syndicated game show.<\/p>\n
Sajak, 77, announced<\/a> his retirement last year. In an interview with his daughter, Maggie, that aired Monday on \u201cGood Morning America<\/a>,\u201d he said he felt \u201csurprisingly OK\u201d going into his final week. The farewell episode<\/a> was filmed in early April.<\/p>\n \u201cI do know that somewhere along the line, we became more than a popular show, we became part of the popular culture, and more importantly, we became part of people\u2019s lives,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s been awfully gratifying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWheel of Fortune,\u201d which debuted in 1975 with Chuck Woolery as its host, became a hallmark of family-friendly programming \u2014 a game show where everyone regardless of age or background could watch and play along, with Sajak as its trusted conductor. Perhaps fittingly, Ryan Seacrest, who rose to fame as the good-natured host of \u201cAmerican Idol,\u201d will take the reins<\/a> from Sajak when the show returns for Season 42 in September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It remains among the most watched syndicated shows on American TV. As of last year, it was still drawing more than nine million viewers daily, second only to \u201cJeopardy!\u201d for syndicated shows. In the mid-1980s, more than 40 million viewers<\/a> tuned in daily.<\/p>\n As Sajak\u2019s era ends, here\u2019s a look back at the show\u2019s legacy, impact and memorable moments.<\/em><\/p>\n Vanna White, the show\u2019s famous letter-turner, joined Sajak in 1982, and their relaxed, familiar chemistry has been a key part of the show\u2019s enduring success. When Sajak announced his retirement, White, 67, said on social media<\/a> that she \u201ccouldn\u2019t be happier to have shared the stage\u201d with Sajak. \u201cWho could have imagined we\u2019d still be at it 41 seasons later?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n By some accounts, White has walked well over 2,000 miles on that stage, strolling back and forth to reveal letters. (The first letter she ever turned was the \u201cT\u201d in the puzzle \u201cGeneral Hospital.\u201d) She even stepped in to host \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d for a few weeks in 2019,<\/a> while Sajak was away for an emergency surgery.<\/p>\n Over the decades, White has arguably eclipsed Sajak as a pop culture figure, not only becoming a household name, but also being shouted out in a surprising number of lyrics, particularly in rap songs including Nelly\u2019s hit 2000 track<\/a>, \u201cRide Wit Me.\u201d<\/p>\n White, however, is not departing with Sajak, though how much longer she will stick with the show remains to be seen. She agreed to a contract extension<\/a> through the 2025-2026 season, a deal that reportedly included a notable raise<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire, too. But I\u2019m not ready,\u201d she told TV Insider<\/a> last month. \u201cWe\u2019ll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job.\u201d<\/p>\n In 1980, before she was famous, White appeared on another game show, \u201cThe Price Is Right,\u201d<\/a> as a contestant. Wearing a T-shirt that read \u201cGet Serious,\u201d she was picked for contestants\u2019 row where she was welcomed by Bob Barker, the third longest-running game show host behind only Sajak and Alex Trebek<\/a>, who hosted \u201cJeopardy!\u201d for 37 years.<\/p>\n In a 2012 interview on ESPN2\u2019s \u201cDan Le Batard is Highly Questionable,\u201d Sajak shared some gossip<\/a> that, given the squeaky clean image of the show, was pretty memorable. According to Sajak, back in those early days, he and White would sometimes have several margaritas at a nearby restaurant while they waited for prizes to be brought onto the show\u2019s set in Burbank, Calif., which usually took a couple of hours.<\/p>\n \u201cVanna and I would go across and have two or three or six, and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet,\u201d Sajak said. \u201cI had a great time,\u201d he added. \u201cI have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Sajak has been \u201cfigurine-like and amiably showbizzy\u201d onscreen, as The New York Times television critic James Poniewozik put it<\/a> last year, presiding over a show that has long been a 7 o\u2019clock staple in homes across the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In recent years, though, Sajak has become more politically outspoken off-air, writing occasional columns<\/a> expressing his conservatism and more frequently sharing his thoughts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In 2014, for example, Sajak posted<\/a> that \u201cglobal warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends.\u201d (He later said he was joking.) In 2022, a photo of Sajak with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Republican from Georgia, was widely circulated, and criticized<\/a>, online.<\/p>\n Sajak has also served on the board for the Claremont Institute<\/a>, a right-wing think tank in California, and is chairman<\/a> of the board of trustees of Hillsdale College<\/a>, a conservative Christian school in Michigan, at which Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the 2016 commencement speech<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sajak hasn\u2019t said whether he will continue with such pursuits, but he is expected to consult on \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d for three years. One somewhat surprising gig for Sajak was announced<\/a> right as his time on \u201cWheel\u201d concluded \u2014 starring in a stage production of \u201cPrescription: Murder\u201d next summer at the Hawaii Theater, opposite longtime Honolulu newscaster Joe Moore. \u201cPrescription: Murder,\u201d a 1968 television movie<\/a> written by William Link<\/a> and Richard Levinson, was the basis for the TV series \u201cColumbo.\u201d<\/p>\n In the interview with his daughter, Sajak said he was open to working on new projects, but added that he is \u201cperfectly happy if it just means that I\u2019ll continue with my crossword puzzles and play with grandchildren,\u201d adding, to rib his daughter, \u201chint, hint, hint, no pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n Long before memes, cultural cachet was all about catchphrases, and \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d had a doozy: \u201cCan I buy a vowel?\u201d \u2014 which became a humorous way to convey confusion in general or to request more information of any kind.<\/p>\n Now, \u201cWheel of Fortune,\u201d which could be considered the original Wordle, gets meme-ified with remarkable frequency on TikTok and Instagram: in puzzle board parodies, which can be generated online<\/a>, or when contestants fail<\/a> in hilarious or embarrassing ways.<\/p>\n In 2020, a contestant went viral<\/a> for guessing \u201cchasing tail\u201d in the bonus round; \u201ckicking back\u201d was the answer. And just a couple of weeks ago, a contestant scanned the puzzle board, clicked his buzzer and yelled out, \u201cRight in the butt!\u201d<\/a> The incorrect guess has been viewed millions of times as it made its way across social media. The puzzle\u2019s actual answer? \u201cThis is the best!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSajak\u2019s Run, By the Numbers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\nWhat\u2019s Next for Sajak?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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