Pat Sajak's final Wheel of Fortune episode as host set for June

The longtime host announced his retirement last summer after four decades on the show.

By
Jessica Wang
Jessica Wang

Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog.

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Published on April 5, 2024 03:51PM EDT

A date for Pat Sajak's final spin as Wheel of Fortune host has been set.

The beloved and longtime host's last episode will be Friday, June 7, Entertainment Weekly can confirm. Sajak's farewell episode will coincide with the current season 41's finale.

Sajak, 77, announced his retirement last summer after four decades on the game show, marking the end of an era for the host who has been with the program since its 1983 nighttime debut. (He also hosted the daytime edition from 1981 to 1989.) Sajak received 19 Daytime Emmy Award nominations during his tenure, taking home three wins.

"Well, the time has come," Sajak said in a statement at the time. "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. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"

CELEBRITY WHEEL OF FORTUNE - ABC's Celebrity Wheel of Fortune stars Pat Sajak.
Pat Sajak.

Ricky Middlesworth/ABC via Getty 

Though he's stepping down as host, Sajak will remain on board as a consultant for three years. The network soon tapped Ryan Seacrest, who will also serve as consulting producer, as Sajak's replacement for season 42.

"I'm truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak," Seacrest said of the new gig. "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."

Vanna White will remain a staple on the show as letter-turner following a pay disparity dispute, though she conceded that she struggled to imagine the show without Sajak by her side. "Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna," White told PEOPLE in 2022. "We're like Ken and Barbie, you know? We've been in everybody's homes for 40 years."

TVLine first reported on Sajak's final episode.

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