‘We’ll Both Leave’: Wheel of Fortune Host Pat Sajak Thought Vanna White Would Retire With Him

Host Pat Sajak, who is ready to depart from Wheel of Fortune , assumed he and Vanna White would retire together. However, White will continue with Ryan Seacrest for the 2025-2026 show.

By Sweta Choudhury

Published on Jun 10, 2024 | 04:25 PM IST | 68.7K

Pat Sajak and Vanna White - ( Instagram/ Pat Sajak)

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Legendary Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak bids farewell to the show. However, it was assumed he and Vanna White would retire together. But that won’t be the case as he hosts his final episode, airing this Friday.

In 2019, Sajak predicted, “There’s a pretty good chance that when one of us leaves, we’ll both leave because it would be odd for either of us to work with somebody else."

He added, “I always say that I want to leave while the show is still popular and before people tune in and say, ‘Ooh, what happened to him?" While Sajak did not mention his retirement time back in 2019, he just said that 20 years from now, Sajak and Vanna won't be here.

Pat Sajak's time in the show Wheel Of Fortune

Previously, in 2021, Sajak noted that the show was much closer to its end than to its beginning. Sajak initially joined the renowned game show in 1981 for the daytime edition, and later became a part of the syndicated version that commenced in 1983.

Meanwhile, in June 2023, the media personality took to X (formerly Twitter) and tweeted, “Well, the time has come, “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last."

He later added that it was a wonderful journey for him and he will talk about more of it in the upcoming months. He concluded the post with a special thanks to all his fans and viewers of the show.

Vanna White's thoughts on her co-host, Pat Sajak

Vanna White is all set to continue her role on the show until the 2025-26 season, while Ryan Seacrest will be stepping into the shoes of host Pat Sajak. Seacrest appears to be honored to take on this iconic role, while White seemed quite emotional upon hearing the news.

White said she was “happy” for him and his decision. “I can’t imagine doing the show without him after 41 years,” she noted. Previously, she told PEOPLE that it was a very hard decision for her to accept. “It's like, ‘Well, wait, if you're leaving, what am I going to do? How can I stay without you?’ It was a very hard decision for me to make because it definitely crossed my mind.”

However, White decided to continue on the show as she wasn't mentally ready to retire.

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