“Thank you for allowing me into your lives,” said Sajak, who has hosted the game show since 1981.
After four decades and over 8,000 episodes, longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is saying goodbye.
As shown in a preview for his final episode of Wheel of Fortune, which will air on Friday evening, Sajak, 77, delivered an emotional speech as he gave a sweet farewell to viewers.
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“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he began in the clip, per PEOPLE. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
“And I always felt that the privilege came with the responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun,” Sajak continued. “No social issues. No politics. Nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”
“But gradually it became more than that,” he added. “A place where 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.”
“What an honor to play even a small part in all of that,” Sajak concluded. “Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
In a video shared on Thursday, TV personality’s longtime cohost, Vanna White, got emotional as she reflected on her 40 years of starring on the game show alongside Sajak.
“I don’t know how to put into words what these past 40 years have meant to me but I’m going to try,” White, 67, began, appearing to get choked up. “8000 episodes went by like that. When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and so confident, Pat. You made me who I am, you really did.”
She added that her favorite moments are those they shared off-screen, including “milestones and life events” with their families.
White later teared up as she concluded her message, telling Sajak, “As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by. You’re like a brother to me and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
Sajak’s final episode comes a year after he announced he would be stepping down as the host of Wheel of Fortune, a position he held since 1981.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in June 2023. “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!)”
It was later announced that Ryan Seacrest would be taking over as host of the syndicated game show beginning with the 2024-25 season. White will stay on as cohost through the 2025-26 season.
