The longtime game show host announced his retirement on June 12, 2023.
Pat Sajak is saying goodbye to Wheel of Fortune. On Monday, the 76-year-old game show host revealed that he's stepping away from the series after more than 40 years.
While the move may be a shock to fans, it's not exactly a surprise. When ET spoke with Sajak last September, the host admitted that retirement was a topic that had been on his mind a lot in recent years.
"In most television shows by this time, you would have said, 'That’s probably enough,' but this show will not die," he said of the game show, which premiered in 1975. "It appears I may go before the show."
"Years go by fast. We're getting near the end. It's been a long [time]. We're not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near," Sajak said. "It's an honor to have been in people's living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We're happy and proud."
Over the years, Sajak and Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White have had many memorable moments together. From taking their turn as contestants on the show, to Sajak body-slamming a contestant, there are plenty of fun experiences to look back on.
Keep reading for the five best moments in the game show's history.
April 1997 - Alex Trebek and Lesly Brown Take Over
More than a decade into their tenure on the show, Sajak and White stepped aside for its April Fool's episode, with Alex Trebek and Sajak's wife, Lesly Brown, filling their respective roles.
While Trebek and Brown worked for the night, Sajak and White took their turns behind the wheel, playing a full game to raise money for charity.
October 2008 - The First Million Dollar Winner
Michelle Loewenstein Moore made history when she won the show's first million-dollar prize in 2008.
"Look at this! How did this happen?" Sajak exclaimed as he hugged Moore's husband, and the contestant ran over to embrace White. "Just consider that a wedding gift from Wheel.
February 2021 - The Early Envelope Debacle
In the show's bonus round, the contestant spins a smaller wheel filled with envelopes. The envelopes determine the prize that the contestant will take home if they solve the puzzle, but those winnings aren't divulged until after the timer runs out.
In 2021, Sajak made headlines when he peeked inside a prize envelope early, before the contestant even attempted the bonus round puzzle.
"Oh, I already looked at it," Sajak said immediately after his error. "I'm not sure why I did that. But I know what she's playing for and you don't."
During the show's closing moments, White teased Sajak for his mistake, remarking, "I don't think you've ever done that."
"There's a first time for every mistake," he said. "Even I'm not perfect. I know that's shocking news."
February 2022 - Sajak Walks Off the Set
The next year, Sajak shocked contestants once again when he walked off the game show's set. The moment happened after the third contestant in a row correctly solved the bonus puzzle and won the $100,000 prize.
"Who's going to book my trip to Vegas," he jokingly questioned, before throwing the envelope and leaving the stage while declaring, "That's it. I'm through. $121,000. I'm out of here."
March 2023 - The Body Slam
Back in March, Wheel welcomed on contestant Fred Fletcher-Jackson, a drama teacher, bar trivia host and professional wrestler. Fletcher-Jackson completed his perfect game of Wheel -- in which he solved every puzzle -- by getting the bonus round puzzle correct.
Earlier in the game, Sajak joked, "You want me to body slam him for you?" Sajak did just that after Fletcher-Jackson solved the bonus puzzle, coming up behind him, grabbing his arm, and jokingly putting him in a headlock.
Sajak's Wheel of Fortune tenure will come to an end at the conclusion of season 41, which is set to premiere in September.
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