Wheel of Fortune‘s Pat Sajak’s final show airs tonight and fans are really emotional. The game show host talked about his long tenure on Wheel of Fortune with his daughter on the program’s YouTube channel. Maggie Sajak asked her father about the wild journey through the decades with the show and how fans have shared their memories with the TV fixture since the news of his retirement was reported. It turns out Sajak has had a lot of time to think about all of these topics as Wheel of Fortune and NBC announced his departure almost a year ago now.
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However, what hasn’t gotten old for Sajak is the fans coming up to him and sharing their memories with Wheel of Fortune. For a lot of families, this game show has become a part of the fabric of their lives. Day by day, they gather around (increasingly slimmer) screens to watch contestants try to crack these puzzles. Some of them even end up learning a little something from Sajak and Vanna White. “This was announced a long time ago, almost a year ago. So, I’ve had time to sort of get used to it,” Sajak admitted. “It’s sort of been wistful. But, I’m enjoying it and taking it all in and reflecting on a great run.”
“I do know that somewhere along the line, we became more than a popular show. We became part of the popular culture,” Sajak opined. “And, you’re with us a lot. People come up to us almost every day, sometimes in tears, saying, ‘I used to watch the show with my grandmother. Now, I’m watching it with my kids.’ Or ‘My kids learn the alphabet from your show!’ Or ‘My mom came from the Philippines and learned to speak English.’ We didn’t intend any of that. And yet, we’ve become this sort of cohesive bond between people and generations and families and friends. That’s been awfully gratifying.”
Who Will Be The New Wheel Of Fortune Host?
Almost 12 months ago, NBC and Wheel of Fortune announced that Ryan Seacrest would be stepping in for Pat Sajak when he left the popular game show. Fresh off the heels of that wild Jeopardy! situation, the Wheel of Fortune producers knew they had to nail their selection for a new host. Seacrest represents a choice that a lot of viewers will know from other popular TV franchises like daytime’s Ryan & Kelly and, of course, his stint on American Idol. But, realistically, Seacrest has found himself ingrained in our pop culture landscape through other fronts over the years as well. There’s not a New Years Eve celebration on TV that goes by without his whole program getting mentioned. The new Wheel of Fortune host addressed the switch with the fans.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest previously told fans on social media. “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.”
Will you be tuning in for Pat Sajak’s final episode of Wheel of Fortune? Check out @ComicBook for all of your pop culture discussion!
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