Current:Home > ContactPat Sajak's final 'Wheel of Fortune' episode is revealed: When the host's farewell will air -MarketEdge
Pat Sajak's final 'Wheel of Fortune' episode is revealed: When the host's farewell will air
View
Date:2025-04-18 14:17:45
The date of Pat Sajak's final "Wheel of Fortune" episode has been determined.
A rep for the show confirmed to USA TODAY on Friday that June 7 will mark the end of Season 41 — and the 77- year-old's tenure as host. The TV veteran is filming his farewell episode Friday.
Sajak announced last June that after 40 years this season would be his last.
"Well, the time has come," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on June 12, 2023. "I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"
This fall, Ryan Seacrest will take the reins as host. He'll be joined by Vanna White, who in September extended her contract with the game show through its 2025-26 season.
Following Seacrest's hiring, Sajak welcomed his replacement on X, formerly Twitter, and shared in a now-deleted post, "I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest in September of 2024."
April Fools!Pat Sajak replaced? Jared Leto steps in as host
Pat Sajak will continue working on 'Wheel of Fortune' as a consultant
Suzanne Prete, the EVP of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, honored Sajak's legacy in a statement issued shortly after the announcement of his impending retirement.
"As the host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years," she said. "We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season."
Sajak "has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting," Prete revealed.
Pat Sajak highlights:Look back at the best quotes from the 'Wheel of Fortune' host
Sajak and White have hosted "Wheel of Fortune" in its current iteration since its debut in syndication in 1983, according to Sony Pictures Television Studios, which produces the show.
The concept was originally created in 1975 by Merv Griffin as an NBC daytime show based on the popular game “Hangman," per Sony Pictures Television. Jim Thornton became the show’s announcer in 2011.
One of the most-watched shows on television, "Wheel of Fortune" was renewed for five more years and ABC stations will continue to broadcast the syndicated show through 2027-2028, domestic distributor CBS Media Ventures said in a statement last year.
Contributing: Charles Trepany
veryGood! (1689)
Related
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Travis Hunter, the 2
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military