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Pat Sajak marked the end of an era as he announced his exit from Wheel of Fortune after serving as its host for 41 years. While the official reason for his quitting the show remains unknown, he has spoken about stepping down on multiple occasions. Two years ago, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Pat Sajak seemingly alluded to his exit from the show, saying:
"Years go by fast. We're getting near the end."
The Wheel of Fortune star then took to Twitter in June 2023, to announce that season 41 would be his last, thereby confirming that he would be leaving the show.
"It’s been a wonderful ride": Pat Sajak on leaving Wheel of Fortune
In June 2023, the much-loved host took to social media to break the news of his exit to fans online. He said that while it had been a "wonderful ride," he had decided that season 41 would be his last.
"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," he said.
In an earlier interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2022, Pat Sajak spoke about the long-running game show and said:
"The end is near. It's an honor to have been in people's living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We're happy and proud."
Pat Sajak has been an integral part of the hit show since its inception. Since then he has sometimes shared his position as a host with Vanna White, who will continue to be part of the series. In a conversation with Good Morning America in November 2023, she stated that she was not ready to retire.
"When Pat told me he was going to retire, it was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm not sure that I'm ready to retire…I thought about it and thought about it, and I just wasn't ready to retire," she said.
Pat Sajak's exit from Wheel of Fortune and the appointment of a new host
Wheel of Fortune season 41, which premiered in September 2023, will reportedly continue till June 7, 2024, meaning, June 7 could probably be the last day of Pat's runtime on the show.
After his exit was officially announced, fans wondered who would take Pat Sajak's place as the host of the legacy show Wheel of Fortune. Ryan Seacrest then took to social media in July 2023 and announced that he would host season 42 of the show. He expressed his love for Sajak as he said:
"Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition."
In a deleted tweet from 2023, Pat Sajak mentioned that he was "looking forward" to "handing over the car keys" to Seacrest, as per People, and said:
"I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest in September of 2024."
Wheel of Fortune has about 7,000 episodes, and Sajak and Vanna White reportedly hold the record for longest-running TV show hosts of all time, as per ScreenRant.
