Pat Sajak to retire from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ after 41st season.
 

Pat Sajak has decided that the upcoming 41st season of Wheel of Fortune will be his final season. He has been hosting the show in syndication since 1983. His co-hostess Vanna White, whose contract also expires next season, has not announced her departure or if she will be continuing past the next season, but I think she will retire too. Sajak will remain on as a consultant of the show after he retires.

https://www.etonline.com/pat-sajak-a...ne-host-206275

I’ll miss Pat. He’s a funny guy who has always made Wheel so entertaining.

Well, am glad Pat stuck around for as long as he did, glad we got to watch him on our TV sets in our living rooms for the last several decades, and am glad I also got to watch him in person in the studio audience as well. I'm sure the show will carry on though, and remain a hit for years to come. We'll do our best to make this last season of his a good one, and we'll see him in reruns.

Even despite becoming a collossal jag-off recently? I’m glad he’s retiring, should’ve pulled the plug years ago and let the show die. Why keep it going? It’s like Jeopardy after Alex died, kill the show, let it die

When was the last time you even watched Wheel? I watch it almost every night at 6:30 with my parents; it’s our family time. I even have Pat and Vanna Funkos that I got for my birthday. We’re all bummed that our favorite game host is retiring. It won’t be the same without him.

Well good for y’all I’m happy and thrilled for ya. And it’s been awhile since I watched it tbh, but i, like many people, can read that lately he’s been a colossal douche to contestants, maybe not all the time, but that’s beside the point. The host doesn’t need to act like an a$$hole towards contestants

People really do need to grow thicker skin nowadays. Pat always makes witty remarks and pokes fun at contestants, especially if they act like total dumbbutts, but at least they go back home rich dumbbutts. We get so frustrated over college week because the contestants are so dumb; we usually yell at the screen at least once, lol.

Take it easy on the guy. Pat just teases; it's all part of his humor; some times he pokes fun at Vanna and himself too, like when he mentions one of his thousands of "high school nicknames". Lots of game show hosts have done this over the years. Bob Barker got sarcastic a lot with The Price Is Right audiences and contestants over the years, especially when they did something obscure or against protocol during gameplay. Alex Trebek was known for "talking down" to Jeopardy contestants some times, but none of it was serious, it was all just for joke. Ray Combs, Steve Harvey, Richard Dawson, and other Family Feud hosts sometimes grimaced, gestured, or showed facial criticism for "dumb" answers contestants gave or "dumb" things they said about their fellow family members or family history.

Game shows are fun; they show real people playing friendly competitive games, sharing interesting things about themselves, and just being themselves rather than acting as characters in a story. Game shows bring out the best in people and are the best form of reality television.

It looks like Vanna White might be continuing on after Pat steps down as host. She is in negotiations to extend her contract by seeking a pay raise.

https://ew.com/tv/vanna-white-negoti...ak-retirement/

Well, if things work out, at least we'll still have half the classic host team carrying on.

Update: Now Ryan Seacrest is elected to take the stage after Pat finishes next season.

Yes, it is official.

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/whe...ak-1235643121/

Hahaha Ryan Seacrest oh man

Meanwhile, the UK has rebooted their version of the show, with Graham Norton presenting. The original UK version lasted from 1988 to 2001.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...ne-1235524512/

It can be perceived maybe as "a joke and not too be taken seriously" as you said, and maybe sometimes it is/it was at the time, but again as I said, there's making a joke and just outright being a d*ck for the sake of being one and lately over the last little while, Pat Sajack has been a total d*ck towards contestants that complaints were apparently filed against him by those contestants. And to me it seems rather convenient that he's retiring all of a sudden, likely due to knowing he could get fired for his stupidity, which btw, with the lists of hosts you mentioned (forgetting miss Ann from The Weakest Link), with the exception of Trebek, Harvey and Barker, they were fired for how they treated contestants and their overal behaviour as hosts on their respective shows

She's pissed she got passed over for hosting duties, wouldn't be surprised at all of she walks

Dawson and Combs weren't fired for how they treated contestants, they treated contestants just fine; true, Dawson may have been a bit overly "flirtatious" at times, but many of the people loved him for it; they were let go or quit because the ratings slumped, most likely due to changes in the format and formula of the show, which apparently didn't appeal well to some viewers. As for Sajak, he's just getting up in age, and he just feels it's time to call it quits, same reason a majority of hosts end up retiring, aside from Trebek of course, who kept going to the very end.

Vanna White is apparently disappointed that she's replaceable and that she might not get what she is asking for if she continues past season 41.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/07/wheel-...ceable-report/

Variety believes that she should stay and that she deserves what she asking for Sony to give her.

https://variety.com/2023/tv/columns/...ne-1235665177/


The times have changed. Three years ago, she said that if she would ever want to host again like she did when Pat had emergency surgery, she wasn't sure if she wanted to, but if she did it again then it would boost her confidence.

You’re correct about Dawson, and I never said he was fired for how he treated contestants nor did I say that about Combs. Combs was fired as they thought he didn’t do that good a job as host, Dawson was fired over having been on the air at a time when there was still quite a bit of bigotry, as he tended to treat all contestants equally and that pissed off producers. I suggest seeking out “E True Hollywood Story Family Feud” as it delves into the infamous history of the show and it’s quite interesting.

And ye Sajack is getting old and maybe using that as his excuse to retire likely knowing his time was coming up and he decided to retire versus being fired for acting like a d**khead

That all may be true but I’m going by what I’ve heard and it’s that her ego has taken a hit and she’s pissed she’s not getting hosting duties but hey whatever far as I’m concerned the damn show should end

Vanna has signed on to continue doing the celebrity edition of the show, but her future past the upcoming 41st season of the syndicated version is still uncertain.

https://deadline.com/2023/07/vanna-w...ne-1235443399/

Vanna White has extended her contract for two additional seasons. She will co-host the show at least through the 2025-26 season.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...26-1235594063/

Sony are developing a Wheel of Fortune for kids

https://deadline.com/2023/10/bewitch...es-1235562347/

Vanna White actually did consider leaving after this season with Pat. She thought long and hard about it but ultimately decided that she was not ready to retire.

https://people.com/vanna-white-consi...lusive-8349879


She also mentions in the article that she is going to miss Pat tremendously and that the show will be doing some incredible stuff to say goodbye to him.

Good thing to, cause when she goes they should just kill the damn show. I hate how some of these stupid game shows overstay their need to be on the air when the hosts either die off (Jeopardy and Price is right anyone?) or they’re fired or replaced (Family Feud). It’s rediculous. Plus really who tf watches game shows any more anyways?

Actually many do. They may not be the same without the classic hosts around, but game shows are institutions turned to for comfort and fun.

Meh to me they stopped being fun years ago

Well, they've finished taping all the episodes for this season, so Pat Sajak is officially retired as host. June 7 will be the airdate for the Season 41 finale and Pat's final episode.

Pat Sajak says his goodbye on tonight's show, his daughter Maggie did the closing interviews with him over this week, Vanna gave her tribute to him last night. I'm sure Pat is enjoying his retirement, his family, and continuing to enjoy his friendship with Vanna on their own time.

I got a bit emotional during his goodbye, and so did my Mom. :cry:

There was an event in New Brunswick, NJ at Rutgers University where a public viewing of Pat Sajak's final episode was being held. I wonder how many other events like that there were at other places.

I only found out about it on Thursday. If I knew about it much sooner, I probably would have gone.

Well, looks like Pat is sticking around a little while longer after all, for the upcoming Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune season.

Pat did win one final Emmy for Outstanding Game Show at the Creative Arts Emmys (though was not present at the ceremony).

Now tonight, Ryan Seacrest is taking the reins on the newly revamped stage.

My stepdad is still struggling to accept Ryan Seacrest as the new host of the show. He even considered giving up Wheel because of Pat’s departure. My Mom and I like him, though.

Here's a first look at Pat's final season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and some of the contestants who will be competing.

https://ew.com/pat-sajak-takes-final...lusive-8721727