‘Wheel of Fortune’s’ Pat Sajak ‘surprised’ he’s still hosting show

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Pat Sajak might be getting ready to step away from his hosting duties on Wheel of Fortune, but the long-time TV personality is still shocked that he lasted as long as he did.

Earlier this week, Sajak, 76, spotted a tweet from @Chicago_History asking, “If someone from 1981 suddenly woke up in 2023, what would surprise them the most?”

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“That Pat Sajak was still hosting Wheel of Fortune,” he jokingly replied.

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Fans reacted to Sajak’s remark by praising the beloved TV host.

“Great answer!” one follower wrote, with another adding, “Pat Sajak is still on top of his game!”

In June, Sajak broke the news that he will be retiring from the game show at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak said in a statement posted to his Twitter account. “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!)”

Sajak has hosted the game show since 1981, taking over from Chuck Woolery, who was the program’s first host when Wheel debuted in 1975. He also fronted a short-lived late-night show — The Pat Sajak Show — from 1989 to 1990.

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In 2019, the Guinness Book of World Records awarded Sajak the record of longest career as a game show host for the same show.

“My early heroes were people like Arthur Godfrey, Dave Garroway, Steve Allen and, especially, Jack Paar. They helped shape what a television personality was, paving the way for so many others,” Sajak told Guinness.

Ryan Seacrest is set to take over after Sajak steps away next year.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “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.”

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Seacrest also praised White in his statement.

“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White,” Seacrest said.

Hosting Wheel will be just the latest in a string of high-profile jobs for Seacrest. He hosts a daytime radio show and American Idol. He also fronts the annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special. More recently, he co-hosted Live with Kelly and Ryan alongside Kelly Ripa.

After Sajak confirmed his time on the show is coming to an end, Seacrest emerged as an early front-runner to step in as his replacement. White and Sajak’s daughter Maggie were also among the names being bandied about.

White paid tribute to her long-time screen partner in a heartfelt social media post after his surprising news.

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“When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” White wrote on Twitter, adding “I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!”

Despite Sajak’s hints that the end was on the horizon, White said last year that retirement wasn’t on her mind.

“I don’t want to think about that,” White said in an interview with PEOPLE. “I mean, we’re a team. That’s depressing. I don’t even want to think about it.”

Meanwhile, Sajak has been nostalgic about his time on the show following the news of his departure.

Earlier this month, he paid tribute to the game show’s creator, Merv Griffin, on what would have been his 98th birthday.

“Merv Griffin, the creator of Wheel of Fortune, was born on this date in 1925,” Sajak shared in a Twitter message. “I owe the man so much. He absolutely defied network executives by insisting on hiring an unknown local TV weatherman to take over his show in 1981. That was me, and I’ve been grateful ever since.”

After his replacement was named, Sajak said he was looking forward to his final season before “handing over the car keys” to Seacrest in September 2024.

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Twitter: @markhdaniell

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