Pat Sajak's Daughter Maggie Shares Sweet Video From Backstage During His Final 'Wheel of Fortune' Episode

Ryan Seacrest will take over for the longtime 'Wheel of Fortune' host after his retirement.

By Anna Rumer

Maggie Sajak is giving Wheel of Fortune fans a special look behind the scenes of dad Pat Sajak's farewell episode. The legendary TV host said goodbye to the game show he's hosted since 1981 on June 7 after announcing his retirement last year, but not before "one more walk" to the stage with Vanna White.

Maggie shared a sweet moment between her father and his longtime co-star and friend on Instagram set to Billie Eilish's "Birds of a Feather," which she captioned, "One more walk to the stage...tonight." In the video, White can be seen resting her hand on Sajak's back as they make one final trip to the Wheel of Fortune stage together. Ryan Seacrest is set to take over for Sajak following his retirement.

At the close of his final episode, Sajak shared an emotional goodbye message to the viewers and crew members who have made Wheel of Fortune the cultural touchpoint it now is. "Well, the time has come to say goodbye," he said. "I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all watching out there. It's been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade."

"I've always felt that the 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," he continued. "But gradually it became more than that. A place where kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together along with friends and neighbors and entire generations."

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"What an honor to play even a small part in all of that," Sajak said. "Thank you for allowing me into your lives. Every time we taped a show, I met three new people from all parts of this wonderful country and the world who were kind and considerate, who rooted for each other, who took great pride in talking about their family, their hometown, their friends, their schools, their jobs, even their pets. In the end, they were the real stars of this show. I genuinely like these people, and I'll miss the chance to meet more of them."

Acknowledging the crew members who made Wheel work, Sajak ended with a message to White. "Vanna is as sweet and unassuming as she seems. We've seen a lot of changes in each other's lives over the years, but we've always been there for each other," he said. "While I'll very much miss working with her, I take solace in the fact that we live about 5 miles apart, so we'll see plenty of each other. But I will miss our nightly closes and her laughter and her good nature. She is a very special woman."

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