Pat Sajak Hints at Retiring From 'Wheel of Fortune'
After 40 years of hosting Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak has no clear retirement plan — although he admits that it might be sooner rather than later. In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sajak indicated that he is considering retirement as Wheel started its 40th season on Monday.
"In most television shows by this time, you would have said, 'That's probably enough,' but this show will not die," Sajak, 75, told ET. "It appears I may go before the show." Sajak took a serious turn next, reflecting on his unprecedented tenure. He now holds the record for the longest-running host of any game show in the U.S., passing The Price Is Right legend Bob Barker.
"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," Sajak told ET. "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."
This will also be the third consecutive season with Sajak hosting two Wheels! Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Season 3 kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, with Vanna White ready to reveal more letters on the puzzle board. "I think people love seeing celebrities and watching them be themselves and not play a character," White told ET. "When they come on here, they are themselves, they have a good time, they're playing for a great cause, so it's good for everybody."
The Celebrity Wheel premiere will feature rapper Snoop Dogg, The Real co-host Amanda Seales, and actor Mark Duplass competing for up to $1 million to donate to their favorite charity. Of those three, White said she is looking forward to having Snoop on the show the most. "I met Snoop Dogg many, many years ago and he told me he was a big fan, so I can't wait to see if he's still a big fan," she said. Sajak later joked that he hopes Meryl Streep would come on for once, but she never will because she can't win an Oscar for playing Wheel of Fortune.
The original version of Wheel launched in 1975, with Chuck Woolery as host. Sajak hosted for the first time in 1981, and also hosted a daytime version briefly in 1989. The nightly syndicated version that Sajak is still hosting to this day launched in September 1983. White has been involved in the franchise since 1982.
When Season 40 debuted, White had a brand new puzzle board to use. It is all one giant LED screen, instead of 52 individual monitors that White had to tap to reveal letters. The new board uses LIDAR (Light, Imaging, Detecting, and Ranging) laser technology. The new puzzle board will also allow producers to add fun graphics for individual puzzles.