Pat Sajak, the longtime host of “Wheel of Fortune,” is retiring after hosting the game show since 1981, per NPR. His final episode will air on Friday night.
“I’d rather leave a couple of years too early than a couple of years too late,” Sajak told his daughter Maggie in an interview on “Good Morning America.” “It’s been a great 40 years, and I’m looking forward to whatever’s ahead.”
Vanna White, who has co-hosted with Sajak since 1982, will remain on the show. According to NPR, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest will take over Sajak’s role.
As Sajak’s “Wheel of Fortune” tenure comes to an end, here are some of his most memorable moments on “Wheel of Fortune”:
1. ‘Fish Love’
There have been a fair share of embarrassing guesses to puzzles in “Wheel of Fortune” over the years. One particularly memorable moment happened when a contestant guessed “Fish Love.”
With $3,000 on the line, the competitors were looking at a board that showed -ISH L---. The contestant, named Edgar, immediately recognized his mistake after guessing “Fish Love” and apologized as the audience broke into laughter.
The next contestant guessed the correct answer, which was “Wish List.”
Sajak poked fun at the incorrect guess by saying, “You know, sometimes the acoustics in here are bad and I thought I heard you say fish love.”
He went on to add, “Jenny got the $3,000 and Edgar has something he will be known for for the rest of his life.”
Despite the blunder, Edgar went on to finish the show with $42,800. To congratulate him, Sajak displayed his funny mistake back on the board.
2. April Fools’ Day prank
A more recent funny moment came this past April Fools’ Day when, rather than Sajak stepping out onto the stage with White at the beginning of the show, Jared Leto, the “Suicide Squad” actor, came out in his place.
The announcer introduced them like nothing was out of the ordinary, saying, “Here are the stars of our show, Jared Leto and Vanna White.”
Without any explanation, Leto took the position Sajak usually held and started the game. When the first puzzle was over, Sajak came out and Leto left without either of them mentioning the unusual start.
“Did you notice anything different in tonight’s show?!” the show’s Instagram page said after the occurrence, with the hashtag #AprilFools.
3. Guinness World Record
In 2019, Sajak received a Guinness World Record for having the longest career as a game show host for the same show.
At the time, he had been hosting for 35 years and 198 days, according to Guinness World Records. The record has gotten even harder to beat since then. Sajak has been hosting now for over 40 years.
Guinness World Records appeared on the show to award and congratulate him for this outstanding achievement.
4. Accidental answer reveal
During a game in 2021, Sajak slipped up by revealing the answer to a puzzle before the contestant guessed it.
The board read ---TE -RAN-L-.
“Yikes!” Sajak said about it. “Well, I’d rather be standing here than there, quite frankly.”
“Quite frankly” turned out to be the answer. Luckily, the contestant did not realize Sajak had given him the answer and went on to lose the round.
“Did you hear what you said?” White asked him after the show.
“I did right after I said it,” he admitted.
“It goes to show you that people are concentrating and they’re not paying any attention to me,” Sajak continued. “It’s funny what your mouth will say that your brain says, you shouldn’t do that.”