Pat Sajak’s final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episode airdate revealed
Pat Sajak has taped his final episode of “Wheel of Fortune.”
Sajak’s final go-round spinning the wheel will air on Friday, June 7, according to TV Line — and that episode will double as the veteran show’s Season 41 finale.
Ryan Seacrest takes over from Sajak for Season 42 when “Wheel of Fortune” returns this fall, with Vanna White back as the show’s iconic letter-turner.
Sajak taped his final episode on Friday, April 5.
Sajak announced last June that he was leaving “Wheel of Fortune” after hosting the show for 40 years.
“Well, the time has come,” he said in a statement. “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. Thanks to you all.”
Sajak began hosting “Wheel of Fortune” in 1983 and also hosted a daytime edition from 1981 to 1989. He’s won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show host.
Seacrest was named Sajak’s successor two weeks after Sajak announced his imminent departure.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” he said at the time. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.
“Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”
Sajak’s final year hosting the show has been full of surprises as he’s interacted a lot more with contestants and has gotten testy at times. He put one contestant in a chokehold and tugged on another man’s beard.
It’s also been a wild ride for co-host White, too, who was locked in contract talks before finally extending her deal through 2026.
Sajak revealed shortly after announcing his “Wheel of Fortune” departure that he was the chairman of the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan where he will now focus his attentions after taking over from retiring chairman William Brodbeck.
The school, located in Hillsdale, Mich., is a private Christian school that was founded in 1844 and is located about 70 miles west of Ann Arbor.
“For decades, Pat Sajak has been an icon of radio and television. There are few things more intimate than appearing in the living rooms of countless Americans every evening,” Emily Slack, executive director of media relations and communication for Hillsdale, told The Post at the time. “We know that he will be missed and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement.”
“…. We have benefitted from his wisdom, intellect, and good humor as chairman of Hillsdale’s board of trustees and we look forward to continuing our important work together and to what we are sure will be a bright future for Mr. Sajak and his family.”
