How Pat Sajak bade farewell to ‘Wheel of Fortune’ after 41-season reign
NY Post
His final spin.
Pat Sajak bade farewell to “Wheel of Fortune” Friday night after hosting the legendary game show for more than 8,000 episodes across 41 seasons.
The episode featured footage from Sajak’s 1981 debut, and revealed “Chicago, Illinois” as the first puzzle answer — a possible nod to his hometown. A round was cut from the program to make room for Sajak’s goodbye message, but he gave each contestant $5,000 to make up for it.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said on-air. “It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
Sajak said he was proud of making the show “a safe place for family fun. No social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”
“Kids learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together along with friends and neighbors, and entire generations,” he added. “What an honor to play even a small part in all of that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
