Pat Sajak’s Daughter Maggie Reacts to His ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Retirement Announcement

Pat Sajak has announced that he’ll be retiring from , and his daughter Maggie has shared her reaction to the big news. On Monday, the longtime host revealed that the show’s next season, which starts in the fall, will be his last. Taking to Twitter, Maggie praise how “much fun” she’s had “working with” her dad lately, and teased fans that they plan to have “even more fun in Season 41.”

In his written statement, Sajak shared, “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!)” Variety noted that, while he will no longer be the face of the iconic game show, Sajak will continue as a consultant, per the show’s production studio, Sony Pictures Television.

“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 for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season,” Suzanne Prete, executive vice president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, shared in a statement. “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!”

Back in 2021, There had been whispers that Sajak was considering quitting or retiring from the iconic game show, but those rumors were soon debunked. Detailing the rumors, Gossip Cop pointed to an OK! story, in which it was claimed that Sajak was ready to hang up his hat and walk away from the show. “He’s not a quitter by any means, but it’s not lost on him that he has plenty of other opportunities outside of the game show,” an insider said at the time. 

In a separate Globe story, another alleged Wheel of Fortune source stated that Sajak was considering quitting over some recent public missteps, “Pat wants to stay but he wants protection from the bosses and better editing of the show, so he doesn’t come off as a jerk,” the source said. Gossip Cop issued a sweeping clarification, essentially explaining that there was no concrete evidence for the rumors. They also cited Sajak’s contract, which at the time did not expire until 2022, as a reason for why he was likely not retiring yet.