Pat Sajak Returning To Host ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Following Retirement

Pat Sajak isn’t done spinning the wheel just yet. Although he retired from Wheel of Fortune in June after 43 years as host, Sajack is stepping back behind the wheel for his “final spin” in October to host the upcoming season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, it was announced Wednesday as part of ABC’s fall primetime schedule.

The upcoming season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune premiers Monday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. ET, leading into a new season of Press Your Luck. ABC touted Sajak’s return to the wheel as his “final spin,” suggesting that he will be done with the long-running game show and its spin-offs following his stint as host on the celebrity-edition. It’s unclear which celebrities will compete on the upcoming season, and TVLine reported that this fall’s episodes of the show haven’t yet been filmed.

The news comes just a month after Sajak hosted his final episode of Wheel of Fortune on June 7. In an emotional farewell speech, Sajak said it had “been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade. And I’ve always felt that privilege came with the responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”

Sajak first joined Wheel of Fortune in 1981 after he was recruited by creator Merv Griffin to take over for the outgoing Chuck Woolery, and he remained with the show as Wheel became syndicated in 1983. He announced his retirement from the game show in June 2023, with Ryan Seacrest later being announced as his replacement and Vanna White closing her her deal to remain the show’s hostess.

Sajak is keeping busy amid his short-lived, and soon to be permanent, Wheel retirement. The long-time host is set to star in a production of Prescription: Murder at the Hawaii Theatre Center where he will share the stage with his “long-time buddy” and Hawaii newscaster Joe Moore. The duo will be joined by Moore’s son Bryce Moore, Therese Olival, Amy K. Sullivan, and Aiko Chinen in the production, directed by Multi Po’okela winner Rob Duval and described by the theater as a “theatrical predecessor” to and “inspiration” for the TV series Columbo. The production is set to debut at the Hawaii Theatre Center on July 31, 2025, and run through Aug. 10.