Game show host Pat Sajak will be ending his reign as the Wheel of Fortune host after 40 years at the helm.
The 76-year-old Sajak announced that he will be exiting the show after the 2023-24 season — his 41st.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” 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!)”
Suzanne Prete, executive VP of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, which produces Wheel of Fortune, told the Hollywood Reporter that Sajak will be staying with the show for three years following his departure as a consultant.
“As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years,” said Prete. “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,” she added.
Sajak has hosted a syndicated version the show since its debut in 1983 and also a daytime edition for NBC between 1981-89.
Reasons for Sajak’s departure remain unknown at this time. He will be retiring roughly three years after the death of beloved Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, marking an official end to a sprawling era.
“The death of Alex Trebek is a tremendous loss for his family, his friends, his co-workers and the millions of viewers who followed his long and illustrious career,” Sajak said at the time of Trebek’s death. “It was an honor for me to be a part of his professional family for nearly 40 years. His strength and courage and grace during his recent health struggles inspired countless others. Alex was truly one of a kind.”
Sajak has also become a favorite in conservative circles over the years mostly due to his fiercely defiant stance against political correctness and woke extremism, having previously mocked LGBTQ grandstanding, celebrity self-aggrandizement, and media hypocrisy on several occasions.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.