All good things must come to an end.
In a surprising move for fans, Pat Sajak, 76, the longtime host of “Wheel of Fortune,” tweeted Monday that the upcoming season of the beloved NBC show can be his last.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our forty first season, which begins in September, can be my last.”
“It’s been an exquisite ride, and I’ll have more to say in the approaching months. Many because of you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)” he added.
Sajak has hosted “Wheel” since 1981, while resident letter-turner Vanna White, 66, joined the show a yr later.
The show’s official Twitter account also weighed in on the news, sharing an image of Sajak: “Thanks to the most effective host within the biz. Wheel of Fortune wouldn’t be what it’s today without you, Pat. Looking forward to Season 41 being higher than ever!”
While he now not will appear in from of the camera, Sajak will proceed as a consultant on the show, Sony Pictures Television revealed in a press release.
“Because the host of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Pat has entertained thousands and thousands of viewers across America for 40 amazing years. We’re incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look ahead to celebrating his outstanding profession throughout the upcoming season,” Suzanne Prete, executive vice chairman of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, wrote.
“Pat has agreed to proceed as a consultant on the show for 3 years following his last yr hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining near the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ family!”
Sajak’s daughter, Maggie, joined “Wheel” in 2021 as its social media correspondent and temporarily filled in for White in May while the letter-turner competed on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.”
“It’s a lot fun working with my dad…and we’re looking forward to much more fun in Season 41,” Maggie tweeted Monday about his retirement.
Last December, show fans expressed concern when she did a trivia quiz featuring players Sajak and White, which led to her dad crowning her “a very good host!”
It left “Wheel” followers wondering whether the show was “grooming” his offspring to take over for White on the letter-turner board — or for her father, for that matter, with one naysayer declaring it, “Nepotism at its best!”
In September 2022, Pat planted a retirement seed when he told “Entertainment Tonight” that “the top is near” for his hosting gig.
“We’re getting near the top. It’s been a protracted [time]. We’re not gonna do that for one more 40 years. The top is near,” he said. “It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. We’re comfortable and proud.”
In 2021, he also told the outlet that couldn’t foresee himself spending one other decade on the series.
“We’re actually closer to the top than the start,” Sajak stated on the time. “I’d like to depart before people tune in and take a look at me and say, ‘Ooh, what happened to him?’ I wouldn’t bet on seeing us in, like, 10 years, I’d say.”
Sajak’s retirement announcement comes amid an increasingly frequent amount of hard-to-watch moments on the show.
Last week, Sajak made a snarky comment to a contestant after they let loose a hair-raising shriek.
In May, he made headlines for snapping at a contestant for continually answering puzzles incorrectly, asking the player, “Why are you bothering?”
