Pat Sajak, 77, is currently in his final week of shows after hosting Wheel Of Fortune for over forty years. Now, Sajak is opening up to reveal the real reason why he is retiring.
Sajak Talks Retirement
“I’ve always said this to you, you’ve heard me say this dozens of times, I’d rather leave a couple of years too early than a couple of years too late,” Sajak told his daughter Maggie in a conversation that aired on Good Morning America.
“Could I still do it? Yeah, I think I could for a while,” he added. “There’s also some other things in life that we’d like to do, and I’m enjoying this last year. It’s been a great 40 years, and I’m looking forward to whatever’s ahead.”
Sajak went on to say that while he’s open to new projects, he’s also looking forward to spending more time with his family.
“I’m perfectly happy if it just means that I’ll continue with my crossword puzzles and play with grandchildren – hint, hint, hint, no pressure,” he said.
Sajak has been married to his wife Lesly Brown Sajak since 1989. They share two children together Patrick, 33, and Maggie, 29. Patrick is a doctor and Maggie recently graduated from law school. She also works as a social media correspondent for Wheel Of Fortune, according to Fox News.
Neither Patrick nor Maggie have any children. Clearly, their father isn’t too pleased about this!
Related: Game Show Host Pat Sajak Says ‘End Is Near’ After 40 Years Of Hosting ‘Wheel Of Fortune’
Sajak Feels ‘Surprisingly Okay’
As for how he feels about going into his final shows, Sajak said that he’s “surprisingly okay.”
“You know, this was announced a long time ago, almost a year ago,” he explained. “So I’ve had time to sort of get used to it, and it’s been a little bit wistful and all that, but I’m enjoying it and taking it in and reflecting on a great run.”
Sajak concluded by saying that he’s aware of how much Wheel Of Fortune means to fans.
“I do know that somewhere along the line we became more than a popular show, we became part of the popular culture, and more importantly, we became part of people’s lives,” he said. “And that’s been awfully gratifying.”
Check out this full conversation in the video below.
Sajak’s History
Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1946, Sajak was a DJ on the armed forces radio during his time serving in the Vietnam War. Afterwards, he started out as a weatherman at WSM-TV Nashville before moving to KNBC Los Angeles. It was there that he got the exposure that landed him Wheel Of Fortune, according to IMDB.
Sajak started hosting Wheel Of Fortune in 1981. In the decades since then, he’s only given up his hosting duties twice. The first time was in 1997, when he and the iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek switched places as an April Fool’s joke. The second time was in 2019, when Sajak underwent emergency surgery and was temporarily replaced by his co-host Vanna White for three weeks.
Find out more about Sajak in the video below.
In September of 2022, Sajak officially surpassed the former Price Is Right host Bob Barker as the longest-running host of any game show. Now that Sajak is retiring, he is set to be replaced by Ryan Seacrest.
While it’s sad to see Sajak go, we certainly hope that he enjoys his retirement!
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