Pat Sajak wrote a simple farewell message to his fans on social media ahead of his final show Friday, one that was only slightly longer than one of his “Wheel of Fortune” puzzles.
“Thank you all so much,” Sajak, who has hosted “Wheel” since 1982, wrote on his X page.
The 77-year-old holds the Guinness Book of World Records for appearing in 8,010 episodes and for being the longest-serving host of a single show, and has won a place in the hearts and living rooms of many Americans over the course of his four-decade run.
Sajak announced a year ago that he was leaving the company.
Pat Sajak will host his final “Wheel of Fortune” episode on Friday. (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)
“Wheel of Fortune” was started in 1975 by Chuck Woolery and Sajak plays host Seven years later, he became the only host that anyone under the age of 40 will remember.
Vanna White arrived that same year and would continue to co-host Ryan Seacrest The Hangman begins his run on the genre guessing show.
The social post was Sajak’s first post on his ex since October, and he received an outpouring of love in the comments.
“Words can’t put into words how much I’ll miss you Pat,” one person commented. “You started the show I was 12 and now I’m 53. Congratulations on a great career. Wow.”
Another wrote: “Years and years of great, wholesome entertainment! Best of luck for whatever comes next.”
A third said: “No thanks Pat. From my family to yours, the fun was all ours.”
Pat Sajak and Vanna White in Season 10 in the early 1990s. (Ron Tom/NBCU Photo Bank)
Sajak also offered a comment. Emotional Farewell Speech This is their last episode, which was recorded in April and airs on Friday evenings.
“Well, it’s time to say goodbye,” he said in his speech. “Before I go, I want to express some thanks and gratitude, and I want to start with everyone who was there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
“I always felt that this privilege came with a responsibility to make this half hour a safe space for family entertainment,” he added. “No social issues, no politics, I hope nothing shameful, it’s just a game.”
It eventually became “so much more than that,” he said, adding that it was a place “where children learned the alphabet, where people from other countries brushed up on their English skills, where family, friends and neighbors and entire generations came together.”
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He said he was “honored” to “have even a small part in all of this,” and concluded by adding, “Thank you for letting me into your life.”
White cried foul as she said farewell to her co-host ahead of her final show on Thursday, recalling their 42 years together, saying, “You made me who I am.”
White, who played Sajak’s equally glamour girl and comedy colleague, described herself as “green” when she first started the job, and said the show made her “very comfortable and confident”.
Pat Sajak and Vanna White began working on “Wheel of Fortune” together in 1982, with Sajak hosting and White manning the letterboard. (Photo: NBCU Photo Bank)
She added, “As much fun as we’ve had on camera, my favorites are the memories, milestones and life events we’ve shared with our families outside of the studio. We’ve watched our children grow up together, we’ve traveled all over the world, we’ve eaten hundreds of meals together, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve celebrated. What an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had.”
White described Sajak as “like a brother” and said he is “a true lifelong friend of mine who I will always respect. I love you, Pat.”
Their getting along was pretty unlikely since game show hosts and women over 40 often turn out like a light bulb, but the pair managed to make themselves as popular as the game itself, “yet they I never allowed myself “This is an effort to be bigger than the show itself,” Achilles PR founder Doug Aldridge told Fox News Digital.
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Pat Sajak’s older daughter, Maggie, has been serving as a social correspondent on the show since 2021 and has previously filled in for White. (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)
He said, “Timing, momentum and teamwork. When you look at the timing, game shows were at their peak in the 1960s and ’70s … When it comes to American audience habits, the timing (of Sajak and White’s acquisition) was like the last few clicks at the top of a roller coaster climb.”
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Although Sajak is retiring from the game show world, he’s already booked a new gig — he’ll appear in a Hawaii stage production of the show called “Prescription: Murder,” according to reports. deadline,
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
