Pat Sajak Announces Retirement From 'Wheel of Fortune'

It's the end of an era for Wheel of Fortune. On Monday, longtime host Pat Sajak announced his retirement from the game show after four decades. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sajak will end his run as the host after the 2023-24 television season. 

"Well, the time has come. I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last," Sajak said in a statement. "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!)"

Sajak has been the host of Wheel of Fortune since December 1981, per the New York Post. He was hired for the job six years after the show first premiered. While the news of his retirement will certainly come as a shock to the show's many fans, it's something that he's been teasing for some time now. In September 2022, he told Entertainment Tonight that his time as the host would likely be coming to an end sooner rather than later. 

"In most television shows by this time, you would have said, 'That's probably enough,' but this show will not die," Sajak said about the game show. He went on to quip, "It appears I may go before the show." The Wheel of Fortune host added that it's been a joy to be on the program for so many decades, but that his time on it was "near the end."

"Years go by fast. We're getting near the end. It's been a long [time]. We're not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near," he said at the time. "... 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." Even though Sajak's time on Wheel of Fortune will truly come to an end soon, that doesn't mean that he's leaving the program entirely. He will reportedly continue to serve as a consultant on the show for three years after his retirement as a host. 

"As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years," Suzanne Prete, Executive VP of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, which produces Wheel of Fortune, said about the news. "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."