Wheel of Fortune is one of the best TV game shows of all time, where the fate of a large cash prize is determined by a spinning carnival wheel. Pat Sajak has been the game show’s host since 1981 until he recently announced the news of his retirement. While Sajak’s final episode was filmed today, audiences will be able to see it as part of their 2024 TV schedule on June 7th.
It’s gonna be hard to imagine Wheel of Fortune without its long-running host. Fans will surely be sad to see Pat Sajak go, as one contestant even went as far as to write a spoken word poem about the host’s retirement. But as Pat Sajak has hosted the Merv Griffin-created show for over four decades, I guess he feels it’s time for him to move on to a new chapter.
If you’re curious when Sajak will say his final goodbye, Deadline reveals the end of his run will be during season 41’s finale on June 7th. However, the Daytime Emmy winner won’t be leaving the show completely, as Suzanne Prete of EVP Game Shows said Sajak will still act as the show’s consultant for the next three years. Other than Wheel of Fortune, the American TV personality has a future gig lined up continuing to be chairman of Hillsdale College.
As we won’t be seeing Pat Sajak front and center anymore on Wheel of Fortune, he’ll be replaced by none other than Ryan Seacrest, who’s hosted shows like American Idol, Live with Kelly and Ryan and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. When the news came that Seacrest would be Sajak’s successor, he said he was incredibly grateful to Sony and couldn’t wait to be part of the tradition of wheel spinning and working alongside co-host Vanna White.
It looks like Ryan Seacrest is heading into Wheel of Fortune with a positive outlook. When he first met Pat Sajak and Vanna White, they said their favorite part of being on the game show was seeing contestants win prizes every night. Something tells me Seacrest will feel the same joy too. So far, he’s only worked with White, who’s decided to extend her contract for two more years, to film the show’s promos and has loved getting to work with “an icon” like her. The one challenge that has so far is allegations of a height challenge. With the new TV host being a couple of inches shorter than Sajak, that's apparently leading to the set having to be downsized. Other than that, it looks like Seacrest’s hosting duties will be a breeze.
It’s going to be a sad night when Pat Sajak’s final episode premieres on June 7th. But on the bright side, we still have a couple more months to cherish Sajak’s time hosting the popular game show. Make sure to catch new episodes of Wheel of Fortune on weeknights on ABC.
