The wheel has landed on “retirement” for Pat Sajak.
His final season, which begins airing in September, will be his 41st hosting the syndicated version of the show, which began in 1983. He hosted the NBC daytime version from 1981 until 1989.
The televised take on the simple game “Hangman” has become one of the most successful game shows in American history, with a wide syndication deal.
More than 3,000 people audition every year, according to the History Channel, but fewer than 500 make the final cut.
Sajak and longtime co-host Vanna White, who joined the show in 1982, have beamed into countless homes throughout the years.
The pair celebrated their 7,000th show in 2019. At the time, a 62-year-old White told USA Today that she didn’t see “doing the show for more than five years.”
Guinness World Records in 2019 awarded Sajak the record of longest career as a game show host for the same show.
“My early heroes were people like Arthur Godfrey, Dave Garroway, Steve Allen and, especially, Jack Paar. They helped shape what a television personality was, paving the way for so many others,” Sajak told Guinness.
Suzanne Prete, Sony Pictures Television’s vice president of game shows, said in a statement: “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.”
Prete added that Sajak will continue as a consultant on the show for three years after his last season.
Sony Pictures did not answer The Washington Post’s questions about whether White will remain with the show.
With the 2020 death of “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, the retirement of Sajak means the end of an era in American game shows.
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. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)
— Pat Sajak (@patsajak) June 12, 2023
Sajak took over as host from Chuck Woolery, who hosted the show when it debuted in 1975.
The Chicago native worked as a disc jockey in Kentucky and a weather forecaster in Nashville and Los Angeles before becoming the “Wheel” host, according to TV Guide. Sajak won Daytime Emmy awards for “Wheel of Fortune” in 1993 and 1997, and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
In addition to his Army stint in Vietnam as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio from 1968 to 1972, TV Guide notes another thing about Sajak — that he “supports conservative political causes.”
Sajak has been photographed with right-wing politicians, including with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in a picture that came to light in 2022.
Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak with Marjorie Taylor Greene and RSBN reporter Bryan Glenn. pic.twitter.com/3dbUygSqDy
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) September 18, 2022
Sajak is a master of another high-stakes public game: the internet.
A skilled online troll, Sajak has often poked and prodded people merely to fill blank space with retrograde comedy.
His humor was on display even in his retirement announcement, which ended with: “(If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”