Pat Sajak Years On Wheel Of Fortune

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What happened to Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune and when does he return? The 62-year-old has been turning letters on the popular game show for over 30 years now. Pat Sajak, as it stands, is set to make a comeback as he is back to good health after facing a blocked intestine, and he reportedly now feels good enough to return to his hosting duties. 'Merv was so upset with me, they started taping over all the old Wheel of Fortune masters,' says Woolery. At first, Sajak was paid $65,000 a year and White got $200 a show. Pat Sajak is an American media sensation. He has been in the industry for decades. The retired former weatherman at WSM-TV and talk show host at KNBC became famous for hosting KNBC's Wheel of Fortune, a popular TV game show in the USA.

By Paige Kindlick of Hollywood Life

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Vanna White is a TV legend! The ‘Wheel of Fortune’ hostess has been a staple on the hit game show for 38 seasons. Take a look at the icon over the years.

Vanna White, now 63, and her longtime Wheel of Fortune co-host Pat Sajak, now 74, are putting a new spin on their famous game show. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune premieres Jan. 7 on ABC and will bring celebrity contestants to the wheel. They’ll spin TV’s most famous wheel and solve word puzzles for a chance to win up to $1 million. All of the money won by the celebrity contestants will go to a charity of their choice.

Vanna has been a part of Wheel of Fortune since 1982. Vanna and Pat have been a united team on Wheel of Fortune since 1983, and the show is now in its 38th season. Their chemistry is unparalleled. In addition to turning the letters of the word puzzles, Vanna is known for her incredible Wheel of Fortune wardrobe. From the bright colors and sparkles of the ’80s to glam gowns of today, Vanna always brings her fashion A-game.

Vanna notably took over Pat’s role as host for the first time in Nov. 2019 as Pat recovered from surgery. She hosted the show solo for three weeks and did so effortlessly. However, she admitted that she was “nervous” about hosting alone in an interview with The New York Times. “Normally I just stand there and I turn my letters, and I’m just happy as can be not having to worry about anything else,” she said. “But here I am controlling the game. So logistically, it was much harder. But I know every aspect of the game, which helped so much.”

In the midst of Vanna’s hostess duties over 38 seasons, she has had major developments in her personal life. She married George Santo Pietro in 1990. She announced she was pregnant in 1992, but she sadly miscarried. Vanna later welcomed a son Nicholas and daughter Gigi. Vanna and George divorced in 2002. She dated Michael Kaye from 2004 to 2006. The hostess married John Donaldson in 2012.

In 2019, Vanna and Pat revealed they had no plans to retire. “This woman and I have been together a very long time. It’s been a fabulous run, and we’ve got lots more in us, yes?” Pat asked Vanna during an interview with USA TODAY. She replied, “Yes, we do!” Vanna and Pat have renewed their contracts through 2022.

© Everett/ABC

Wheel of Fortune fans might care deeply about who replaces Pat Sajak when he retires, but it does not matter to the jovial game show host. The beloved host said he does not care who takes over for him once he leaves, although there is no definitive timeline for when that will happen. Sajak was recently sidelined for an emergency surgery, giving fans a taste of what the show would be like without him.

When TMZ caught up with Sajak, his daughter Maggie Sajak and Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White outside a restaurant in West Hollywood last week, they had to ask Sajak who he thinks should be the next host.

'Once I'm gone, I don't care who takes the reins,' Sajak said, with his usual wit.

This week, Wheel is airing more episodes hosted by White, who was joined by Maggie as the temporary letter-turner.

White told TMZ she thought Maggie, 25, did a fantastic job filling in.

Pat Sajak On Wheel

'I'm so proud of her,' White said. 'She did a great job. Better than me!'

'She's a great teacher,' Maggie chimed in.

Sajak

When asked if she would ever want to take over for White full-time, Maggie was not so sure.

'Who knows, but it was a lot of fun,' she said with a shrug.

Later, Sajak assured his fans he is now feeling 'fine' after his emergency surgery in November. Sajak was hospitalized for a successful surgery to fix a blocked intestine. He missed several Wheel tapings, and the first White-hosted episode aired on Dec. 20. Some Sajak-hosted episodes aired during the last week of 2019, but more White-hosted episodes are aiing this week.

Pat Sajak Years On Wheel Of Fortune Tellers

'This is a little complicated, so pay attention,' Sajak said in a video for Monday's episode. 'I was back from my surgery last week and had a wonderful time on the show, and I'm not going to be here this week. It's not that I had a relapse, it's just because of the technicalities of the taping order and all that. So you're going to see Vanna doing her Pat impression here. She does a great job. And we have a special letter toucher.'

Pat Sajak Been On Wheel Of Fortune

In November, Maggie said her father felt a 'horrific pain' before he was hospitalized.

'He's not a big complainer,' Maggie said at the time. 'I could tell he was taking it seriously. We don't usually, you know, go into the emergency room for little things.'

Pat Sajak Salary On Wheel Of Fortune

Although Maggie enjoyed filling in for White while White hosted, it was 'amazing' to see her dad back at work.

'It was definitely really scary,' she said of the experience. 'I'd like to say I was a trooper at the beginning. I wasn't.'
Sajak, 73, has been hosting Wheel of Fortune for almost 40 years and is signed to continue hosting through 2022. In December, he told Good Morning America he is considering retiring in two to three years.

Pat Sajak Years On Wheel Of Fortune

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'I'd rather leave a couple years too early than a couple years too late,' he explained. 'I don't have a date in mind, but you know, two, three [years], something like that.'

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