Pat Sajak is set to host one more season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, bringing down the curtain on his more than four decades of hosting the show. The host, who retired from Wheel of Fortune in June, is set to spin the wheel one more time on the star-studded version of the long-running game show, according to an announcement made in ABC’s fall schedule, which was released today. Per the announcement, the schedule will launch a number of high-profile unscripted shows along with some new scripted series in September, while other hits like Abbott Elementary will wait until October to premiere.
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It is not immediately clear whether Sajak always intended to return for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, if it was a last-minute change, or whether it has to do with Ryan Seacrest’s contract. Seacrest, who will host Wheel of Fortune beginning with the upcoming 42nd season, has technically not yet started the job.
It’s possible that Sajak could return for occasional specials, in the same way Mayim Bialik has done on Jeopardy! after Ken Jennings took over as the full-time host.
Sajak and his cohost Vanna White have been with the series since the early 1980s, with former Los Angeles weatherman Sajak taking over from original series host Chuck Woolery in 1981, and White joining in 1982. Shortly after Sajak announced his retirement, the network revealed Seacrest would replace him.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest 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.”
Seacrest has not yet hosted his first episode of the syndicated Wheel of Fortune series, which airs daily and will resume in the fall. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will reported premiere on October 7. Per THR, who first reported the news, none of Sajak’s episodes have been taped yet. The show will air on Monday nights whenever ABC does not have a Monday Night Football game.
For her part, White decided to remain on at least temporarily.
“In most television shows by this time, you would have said, ‘That’s probably enough,’ but this show will not die,” Sajak said when he announced his retirement earlier this year. “It appears I may go before the show. Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near. It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We’re happy and proud.”
