Pat Sajak To Retire From 'Wheel of Fortune'

CULVER CITY, CA — This coming season's "Wheel of Fortune" will be host Pat Sajak's final spin, he announced Monday.

Sajak, 76, has hosted "Wheel of Fortune" for 40 years. He'll complete his 41st year with the 2023-24 season and quit after helming one of the longest-running gameshows in TV history. Only "Jeopardy" and "The Price Is Right" have been on television longer.

"Well, the time has come," Sajak tweeted "I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. 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 been hosting the popular game show since 1981 when he took over from original host Chuck Woolery in 1975. His retirement marks the end of a TV era. He found his "Wheel of Fortune" partner Vanna White in 1982, and the pair have charmed audiences together ever since.

"As the host of `Wheel of Fortune,' Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years," Suzanne Prete, executive vice president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said in a written statement.

"We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season," she added. "Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we're thrilled to have him remaining close to the `Wheel of Fortune' family."

Prete did not say if a replacement host has been chosen.

Sajak won three outstanding game show host Daytime Emmy Awards.

"In most television shows by this time, you would have said, 'That's probably enough,' but this show will not die," Sajak told Entertainment Tonight last year. "It appears I may go before the show."