Wheel of Fortune won’t look the same after Season 41.
Pat Sajak, who has been hosting the game show since it premiered in 1983, has announced that the upcoming season will be his last. “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he said in a statement to Bloomberg News. “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 news comes just three days after Season 40 ended, on Friday, June 9 and ahead of a rerun airing in its usual time slot, following Jeopardy! However, he won’t be leaving Wheel of Fortune entirely, with Sajak taking on the role of consultant following his last episode on-air as host.
“As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years,” added Suzanne Prete, executive vice president for game shows at Sony Pictures Television. “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. Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family.”
Sajak’s exit shouldn’t be too surprising, as he did tell ET in September 2022, “Years go by fast. 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 and Vanna White also cohost Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, part of ABC’s primetime schedule (and part of the network’s unscripted-heavy fall 2023 lineup). There is no word yet on whether White will continue follow Sajak’s onscreen exit.
Sajak has been recognized for his work as host on Wheel of Fortune with three Daytime Emmys and another 18 nominations. He also received a star on the Walk of Fame for his contributions to television in 1994.
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
