Pat Sajak’s final episode of Wheel of Fortune is fast approaching, with the game show’s 43-year host headed to retirement following the June 7 episode. Not only will it be the end of an era for one of the best game show hosts, it will be the end of one of TV’s greatest dynamic duos — Pat Sajak and Vanna White. After four decades, these two are so close that White has even said she considered leaving the show with him. Now that the big goodbye is actually upon us, the letter-turner had the most lovely things to say about Sajak, and boy are her words tugging at my heartstrings.
Vanna White and Pat Sajak have been the faces of Wheel of Fortune for over 40 years. Forget TV shows or business partnerships, that’s longer than many marriages last! White said it’s hard to come up with the right words for what it will feel like to have someone different — in this case, Ryan Seacrest — leading the contestants in spinning the Big Wheel, but she found a beautiful way to explain it, telling TV Insider:
I can’t describe how I feel. I feel happy for him. I can’t imagine doing the show without him after 41 years. I sum it up as [like] reading a good book. It always has to end. This has been the best book I’ve ever read.
Describing her journey alongside Pat Sajak as “the best book” she’s ever read is so heart-warming, and heart-wrenching, when you consider that in every story the last page must be turned at some point. After living the entirety of their adult lives together in front of the camera, it’s obvious that Vanna White and Pat Sajak have become more like family than colleagues or co-hosts. She’s referred to him as her “TV husband,” and apparently Kelly Ripa is one of many viewers who thought she and Sajak were married in real life.
The bond is undeniable, and it doesn’t sound like there’s anything — even Pat Sajak’s retirement — that could weaken the relationship at this point. Vanna White said:
I don’t think there’s anything [he and I] haven’t talked about in 8,000 shows. We’ve traveled around the world together. We’ve watched our kids grow up together. We’ve thrown pies in each other’s faces. He’s so funny! I love him like a brother. Gosh, I’ve known him longer than I’ve known anybody. We will be friends forever.
Forty years ago they never could have imagined what an institution Wheel of Fortune would become — it’s one of the best game shows of all time — and that they would be two of the most prominent people in each other’s lives, seeing the world together and appearing on TV every weeknight. They’ve undoubtedly been through a lot together, and hopefully their relationship will endure off-screen once Pat Sajak passes the baton.
Check your local listings to see how to watch Pat Sajak’s final episodes in your area, and keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule to see when Ryan Seacrest will officially take over on Wheel of Fortune, with Vanna White in front of the Big Board, of course.