After 40 seasons, Pat Sajak may retire from Wheel of Fortune. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Sajak expressed the strong possibility of his near departure in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “Years go by fast,” he said. “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. … It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long.” Sajak said he believes the show will outlast him. Just as Jeopardy! has continued without Alex Trebek, Wheel of Fortune will likely have to continue with a new host in the near future.
Pat Sajak’s Long Run on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Sajak has hosted Wheel of Fortune since 1981. He has earned 19 Emmy nominations and three wins. Now at 75, Sajak has had some health issues that may be a factor in his potential departure from the show. In 2019, Sajak underwent emergency intestinal surgery to remove a blockage. He was out for a month, with Vanna White taking over as the host during his recovery. After a long run with many highs and lows, Sajak appears ready to retire and enter the next phase of his life.
2022 has been a year where many iconic television personalities have moved on to other projects and left the screen. Television hosts such as Ellen Degeneres, Maury Povich, and Wendy Williams have all ended their hosting careers for different reasons, giving room to new TV hosts such as Sherri Shepherd and Jennifer Hudson. Sajak may be the latest TV personality to take his last television bow to hand the reigns to someone else.
