PAT Sajak, Ryan Seacrest, and Vanna White have posed together on the Wheel of Fortune set.
On Friday, the American Idol host shared the photo, and an accompanying video, on Instagram.
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Outgoing host Pat Sajak, incoming host Ryan Seacrest, and Vanna White have posed together on the Wheel of Fortune setCredit: Wheel of Fortune
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Pat’s replacement, Ryan, shared the photo on Instagram as a tribute to the longtime Wheel of Fortune hostCredit: Instagram/wheeloffortune
The photo captured incoming Wheel of Fortune host Ryan, 49, outgoing host Pat, 77, and incumbent co-host Vanna, 67, standing behind the game show’s wheel.
The trio smiled at the camera as retired Pat, who hosted the game show for 41 years, passed the torch to Ryan.
Ryan captioned the post, “Pat, congratulations on an incredible run with Wheel of Fortune!
“Your dedication, charm, and wit have made the show a beloved part of American television for decades. Your partnership with Vanna has been nothing short of iconic, and together, you’ve created countless wonderful memories for viewers.”
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“You’ve set the standard for hosts everywhere, and this marks the end of an era. Best wishes for all your future endeavors!” the American Top 40 host concluded.
The included video showed Pat and Ryan whispering and joking to each other on set as Vanna positioned herself for the photoshoot.
In the comment section, one fan wrote, “Happy retirement Pat!! Omg so excited for Ryan!! Great choice!! Can’t wait to watch!!”
“You are THE BEST person to take over for Pat Sajak. You two are my favorites,” added another.
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“Best of luck Ryan! How exciting for you! Pat has been so fun to watch and seems like such a cool guy. He deserves to enjoy some free time. You will be amazing taking over, no doubt. Have wheels of fun,” wished a third.
A fourth wrote, “Ryan has huge shoes to fill.”
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Another fan replied, “Yes he does but I’ve seen Ryan host so many shows so therefore I know Ryan will do a great job as the new Wheel of Fortune host.”
FANS CHOICE
Fans have called for Pat’s daughter, Maggie, to take over for him following his retirement.
Longtime viewers have been dubious of Ryan’s ability to fill the prolific game show host’s shoes and suggested Maggie, 29, take over for her father instead.
On Thursday, before the tenured host’s final episode aired, Wheel of Fortune shared a video on Instagram of Pat and his daughter chatting about his time on the show and his plans post-retirement.
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Ryan also included a video of him and Pat in the Instagram postCredit: Wheel of Fortune
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The short clip showed Pat and Ryan joking around on the Wheel of Fortune setCredit: Wheel of Fortune
In the comments, several fans suggested an alternative to Ryan as host.
“Your daughter should take over the show why does it have to be a male!” one fan wrote.
Game show fans made similar comments after Pat posted a clip of him and Maggie talking about Ryan on Instagram earlier this week.
“Maggie should be the host!! Idk who thought Seacrest was a good fit,” one fan complained.
“You are so loved. I think Maggie and Vanna should run the show. That would be awesome,” someone else suggested.
“Definitely do not feel they chose the right host if they wanted to keep the show on the air. Very disappointing,” a third commenter lamented.
MOVING MESSAGE
Pat’s last episode on Wheel of Fortune aired on Friday, June 7, 2024.
He closed his time on Wheel with an incredible personal message to TV viewers.
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he said to end the season and his four decades.
“I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all watching out there,” Pat began his lengthy, gracious speech.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade,” he said.
“What an honor to have played even a small part in all of that. Thank you for allowing me into your lives.”
Wheel of Fortune Host Timeline
Although Pat and Vanna have been a staple on the game show for decades, there have been other hosts
Chuck Woolery was the host from 1975 to 1981
He co-hosted alongside Susan Stafford (1975 to 1982)
Vanna White then stepped in as hostess in 1982 and has been ever since
After a contract and salary dispute, the show got rid of Chuck and brought in Pat in 1982
Pat hosted with Susan for one season
He then left the game show in 1989 to host a late-night talk show for CBS
For five months, NFL player Rolf Benirschke took his place
In July 1989, Bob Goen hosted the show on CBS
He hosted for a year and a half until the show was canceled in 1991
The show was then moved to ABC with Pat and Vanna hosting for the foreseeable future
In 2023, Pat announced his retirement and Ryan Seacrest as quickly named as his replacement
“Every time we taped a show, I met three new people from all parts of this wonderful country and the world, who were kind and considerate.
“Who rooted for each other, who took great pride in talking about their family, their hometown, their friends, their schools, their jobs, even their pets.”
“In the end, they were the real stars of this show,” he continued. “I genuinely like these people, and I’ll miss the chance to meet more of them.”
He said it was a “joy” to work with the staff, “everyone pulled together. It worked because you made it work.”
And “finally, to my professional other half dear Vanna. Like me, she takes the show very seriously but not herself.
“I shudder to think what this show would have been like had they brought someone in all full of themselves playing the prima donna role.
“Vanna is as sweet and as unassuming as she seems. I want to thank her for her lovely goodbye on yesterday’s show.
“While I’ll very much miss working with her, I take solace in the fact that we live about five miles apart, so we’ll see plenty of each other,” he said.
“But I will miss our nightly closes, and her laughter and her good nature. She is a very special woman.”
“I know you’re all pleased to know she’ll be back next season.”
Pat closed, promising you’ll be seeing more of him on summer reruns.
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“That’s it!” he concluded. “Thank you all so very much, and goodbye.”
Vanna swept in for a hug as the audience roared, thus concluding Pat’s last show.
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Pat hosted Wheel of Fortune for 41 years with Vanna as his co-host for 40 of themCredit: Getty
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Fans have been dubious of Ryan stepping in for PatCredit: Wheel Of Fortune
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Viewers suggested Pat’s daughter Maggie Sajack take over for her dad
