Grab your tissues! Pat Sajak is bidding farewell to Wheel of Fortune in an emotional first look at his final episode as host.
After more than 40 years of hosting the long-running game show, Sajak will officially begin his well-deserved retirement following tonight’s episode. With mere hours left before it’s set to air, production has released a clip of the beloved host’s final speech.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he says in the clip, per Variety. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
He continues, “And I always felt that the privilege came with the responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues. No politics. Nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game. But gradually it became more than that.”
Sajak goes on to describe Wheel of Fortune as “a place where kids learn their letters, where people from other countries hone their English skills, where families came together along with friends and neighbors and entire generations.”
He concludes, “What an honor to have played even a small part in all of that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
Sajak, who first began on Wheel of Fortune in 1981, announced in June 2023 that Season 41 would be his 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!)” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) at the time.
Ryan Seacrest was swiftly named Sajak’s successor, while longtime co-host Vanna White is contracted through the 2025-2026 season.
While Sajak may not be on TV anymore, he is still planning to stay busy amid his retirement. Variety reported earlier this week that he will star in the play Prescription: Murder at Honolulu’s Hawaii Theatre next summer, from July 31 to Aug. 10, 2025. The outlet says he’ll be playing “brilliant psychiatrist Roy Flemming, who hatches a plot with a perfect alibi to murder his neurotic and possessive wife.”
Sajak’s final episode of Wheel of Fortune airs tonight (June 7) at 7:30/6:30c. Check out their website for local listings.
