The TV personality will host his final episode of Wheel of Fortune of his 40-year career on Friday.
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Wheel of Fortune fans cringed over a throwback cameo of Pat Sajak in a kids’ TV showCredit: Getty
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Pat hosts his final episode of WoF alongside his partner, Vanna White, on FridayCredit: Getty
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In 1994, Pat played himself in the Nickelodeon animated series, RugratsCredit: Nickelodeon
Pat, announced in June 2023 that he was retiring at the end of Season 41, and it was later revealed that Ryan Seacrest, 49, is taking his place.
Fans memorialized the 77-year-old’s last day on the job by recalling a silly cameo he made in the Nickelodeon animated show Rugrats in 1994.
One X, formerly Twitter user, shared a clip from the episode where Pat played himself in the cartoon.
In the scene, Pat – looking completely different than his appearance in real life – showed up at the door of Chas Finster (voiced by Michael Bell) to surprise him with a $10 million check.
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He held the massive cardboard check and yelled the exciting news into Chas’ face.
Chas looked completely shocked about the big win and was speechless as he stared at Pat in the doorway.
However, fans didn’t find the cameo as amusing as they once did, with many criticizing the TV host’s performance.
“You may remember Pat Sajak from Wheel of Fortune. I remember Pat Sajak from the nightmare fuel he gave me in only 20 seconds in this Rugrats episode,” the original poster wrote.
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“He is my sleep paralysis demon,” joked another.
“Not Nightmare Fuel for me, but this scene is imprinted on my brain lol,” said a third, while others called Pat’s appearance “freaky” and “weird.”
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Meanwhile, other social media users blamed the animators for making Pat look completely different, therefore ruining his character.
“I wonder if he actually saw this episode when it aired and thought ‘Why I look like that?'” a fan wondered.
“Drawing him that way was a real choice, even by early 90s Nickelodeon standards,” a second commented.
“Why did they make him look like that?!?!” a third added.
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
He recently reflected on his long career on the show with his daughter, Maggie, 29, and what drove him to retire.
“I’ve always said, ‘I’d rather leave a couple years too early than a couple years too late,'” the ABC star during an interview on Good Morning America.
“Could I still do it? Yeah, I think I could for a while, but there’s also some other things in life that we’d like to do.”
“I’m enjoying this last year. It’s been a great 40 years and I’m looking forward to whatever is ahead,” he concluded.
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Pat’s partner, Vanna White, 67, who worked alongside him since 1982, will continue her reign on the program with the new host, Ryan.
The pair were seen filming for the first time in February.
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Pat is being replaced by Ryan Seacrest as host of the show
