The game show host announced last June that he would depart the program after the 41st season
Pat Sajak will retire from “Wheel of Fortune” on June 7, marking the end of over 40 years as the host. The final episode, titled “Thanks for the Memories,” will air a year after he announced his departure. Representatives for “Wheel of Fortune” did not respond to requests for comment.
Sajak, who began hosting in 1981, shared on Twitter, “Well, the time has come. 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.”
Despite leaving, Sajak will stay on as a consultant for three years, according to Suzanne Prete of Sony Pictures Television.
Vanna White, Sajak’s longtime co-host, considered leaving too. She told PEOPLE, “It’s like, ‘Well, wait, if you’re leaving, what am I going to do? How can I stay without you?’ It was a very hard decision for me to make. But I thought about it and I’m not ready to retire, so I am staying on.”
White will stay on through the 2025-26 season, with Ryan Seacrest taking over as host in September 2024. Sajak said, “I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest.”
Seacrest expressed his excitement, calling the opportunity a “full circle moment” and adding, “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
This transition marks the end of an era for “Wheel of Fortune” and the start of a new chapter with Seacrest as host.
