Vanna White pays heartfelt tribute to Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak

Vanna White pays tribute to Pat Sajak following his news that he is retiring from Wheel of Fortune after more than four decades.

“When we started @WheelofFortune, who would have thought we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” White tweeted Tuesday.

She added, “I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you all these years and there’s another one coming up.” Cheers to you, @patsajak!’

Sajak, 76, announced the news on Monday by tweeting, “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last.

He continued, “It has been a great ride and I will have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to all of you. (If nothing else, it keeps the clickbait sites busy!)’

A tweet from the long-running game show read, “Thank you to the best host in the biz. Wheel of Fortune wouldn’t be what it is today without you, Pat. I look forward to Season 41 being better than ever!’

According to iMDb Monday, Sajak has hosted 7748 episodes of the series’ nightly edition from 1983–2023 to date.

Sajak’s longtime costar on the hit game show, Vanna White, 66, had not discussed his departure from the series on her Instagram or Twitter accounts as of Monday afternoon.

Suzanne Prete, executive vice president of game shows for Sony Pictures Television, released a statement saying, “As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years.

“We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career in the upcoming season.”

Prete said that Sajak has “agreed to continue as an advisor to the show for three years after his senior year as host,” adding, “We’re thrilled to have him staying close to the Wheel of Fortune family!”

Sajak has hosted the night edition of the show with White since 1983. He started hosting the daytime series from 1981, leaving that edition to host his own late night series in 1989. The daytime edition was canceled in 1991.

He has been nominated 22 times for Daytime Emmys for his hosting efforts on the series and its spin-offs, winning three times. In 2011, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the TV staple.

Sajak has been a consistent presence on the long-running series throughout his four decades at the helm, rarely missing a show.

In one instance in November 1996 when he was suffering from strep throat, he and White switched jobs for the episode.

He had to take a break from taping in November 2019 when he had to undergo emergency intestinal surgery, with White filling in as host.

He hinted at his burgeoning departure from the series he spoke with Entertainment tonight in September, saying, “Years pass quickly. We are approaching the end. We’re not going to do this for another 40 years. The end is near.’

In addition to his efforts on Wheel of Fortune, Sajak has also made cameos on a number of TV shows, including The King of Queens, The Larry Sanders Show, The Commish, Santa Barbara, 227, Gimme a Break! and the A Team.

Sajak is the father of two adult children with wife Lesly Brown – son Patrick, 32, and daughter Maggie, 28.

Maggie has worked for the series as a social media correspondent for the past two years.

Sajak was praised by a number of fans in response to his announcement.

‘We will miss you! Happy retirement!’ one fan wrote, while another said, “First ballot hall of famer. Induct Pat everywhere!’

Another fan shared the warm words: ‘Always a classic icon in my house of wonderfully dry wit and laughter. Shaped TV in a huge way!

Thank you for 42 fantastic years. Congratulations, hope retirement is everything and anything for you.”

Another fan said, “It won’t be the same without you at the helm, but it’s been a great run.”