Pat Sajak announces that he will be retiring as the host of Wheel of Fortune after the upcoming 41st season.
Pat Sajak has hosted Wheel of Fortune for longer than I’ve been alive, but that incredible run will be coming to an end. In a statement to Bloomberg, Pat Sajak said that he will be retiring as host of Wheel of Fortune after the 2023-24 season.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Pat Sajak said. “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!)” Sajak has hosted the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune since 1983 and also hosted the daytime edition from 1981-89.
Although Pat Sajak will be retiring from Wheel of Fortune after the 41st season, he will stay on as a consultant for the show for the next three years. “As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years,” said Suzanne Prete, executive vp game shows at Sony Pictures Television. “We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season. Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family.“
Over the course of his time hosting Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak has received 19 nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host and has won three times. He also became the longest-running host of any game show in 2018 when he surpassed the previous record held by The Price Is Right‘s Bob Barker.
It’s not clear who will be replacing Pat Sajak as the host of Wheel of Fortune, but I’d imagine he will have some say in the matter considering his consultant position. When Alex Trebek passed away, his hosting duties on Jeopardy were taken up by a variety of guests before it was finally announced that Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings would share the hosting job.
Who should replace Pat Sajak as host of Wheel of Fortune now that he’s retiring?