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Pat Sajak

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"Sajak" redirects here. For his daughter, the country singer, see Maggie Sajak. For others with a similar surname, see Sajdak.

Pat Sajak
Sajak in 2011
Born
Patrick Leonard Sajdak

(1946-10-26) October 26, 1946 (age 78)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materColumbia College Chicago
Occupations
Years active1968–present
Notable credit(s)Wheel of Fortune (1981–2024)
The Pat Sajak Show (1989–1990)
Political partyRepublican[1][2]
Spouses
  • Sherrill Sajak
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1979; div. 1986)​
  • Lesly Brown
    ​
    (m. 1989)​
Children2; including Maggie
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUS Army
Years of service1968–1969
RankSpecialist 5th Class
Battles / warsVietnam War

Patrick Leonard Sajak (/ˈseɪdʒæk/ SAY-jak; né Sajdak,[3] born October 26, 1946) is an American game show host, television personality, and creative consultant. He is best known as the host of the television game show Wheel of Fortune, a position which he held from 1981 to 2024. Sajak currently serves as a consultant for the show.[4] He remains as host of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. For his work on Wheel, Sajak has received 19 nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, winning thrice, and twice nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Game Show, winning in 2024. In 2019, he was recognized by Guinness World Records for having the longest-serving career as a game show host for the same show, surpassing previous record holder Bob Barker.

Beyond his game show career, Sajak has made various appearances in films, television series, and game shows, such as Airplane II: The Sequel, Days of Our Lives, and Rugrats. He also hosted a late-night talk show on CBS from 1989 to 1990 and became a frequent guest host for CNN's Larry King Live and the syndicated Live with Regis and Kelly.

Sajak has been involved in a variety of other endeavors, including as an external director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing and writing for the National Review Online and Ricochet.co. He is also the author of several puzzle games, including "Lucky Letters", developed in collaboration with puzzle developer David L. Hoyt.

Early life

[edit]

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1946,[3] Sajak graduated from Farragut High School in 1964,[5] then went to Columbia College Chicago while working as a desk clerk at The Palmer House Hilton hotel.[5] His Polish-origin surname was originally spelled Sajdak, but he later changed it to Sajak to better reflect its Americanized pronunciation.[6]

Sajak served in the U.S. Army as a disc jockey during the Vietnam War for American Forces Vietnam Network.[7] He hosted the same Dawn Buster radio show that Adrian Cronauer did and Sajak followed Cronauer's tradition of signing on with "Good Morning Vietnam!" for 14 months.[8]

Career

[edit]
Main articles: Wheel of Fortune (American game show) and The Pat Sajak Show
Sajak in an ad for WSM, for whom he was an afternoon host, c. 1970s

Sajak won a contest on WLS radio's Dick Biondi Show to be a guest teen deejay. While at Columbia College Chicago, his broadcasting instructor Al Parker told him that a local radio station (WEDC) was looking for a newsman. Sajak applied for the job and was hired to work from midnight to 6:00 a.m. In 1968, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Vietnam, serving as a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio. On the Military Channel's program, An Officer and a Movie, Sajak admitted to botching President Richard Nixon's 1969 Christmas broadcast to the troops; he accidentally cut the feed off prematurely. Upon realizing the error, Sajak decided it would be best not to resume the feed. In the early 1970s, he DJed for a year at WNBS in Murray, Kentucky.[9] Also in the early 1970s, Sajak began DJing at 50,000-watt WSM in Nashville; at the time, WSM was playing pop music during the day, and he was the 2:30–5:00 pm afternoon personality. The radio station's television sister, WSM-TV (now WSMV), brought Sajak on screen, first as a voiceover artist making station identifications and anchoring the five-minute newscasts during NBC's Today Show, then as a weekend and substitute weatherman, where he became acquainted with anchor Dan Miller. In 1977, KNBC-TV in Los Angeles was looking for a weather reporter and spotted Sajak working in Nashville. He accepted KNBC's request for him to be a full-time weather reporter for the station.

In 1981, Merv Griffin asked Sajak if he would be interested in taking over the duties as host on Wheel of Fortune from Chuck Woolery. However, Fred Silverman, the president and CEO of NBC, rejected his hiring, claiming Sajak was too local, and Griffin responded by imposing a moratorium on new tapings until Sajak was hired.[10] The issue became moot when Silverman was dismissed due to repeated programming failures and replaced by Brandon Tartikoff. Sajak, who had already hosted two game show pilots in 1980, Press Your Luck for Ralph Edwards (no relation to the 1983 CBS game show of the same name) and Puzzlers for Mark Goodson, accepted the position. From 1983 to 1989, Sajak hosted both the daytime (NBC) and syndicated evening versions of Wheel of Fortune; Sajak continued to host the latter version until 2024. With Sajak returning for his 36th season in 2018–19, he became the longest-running host of any game show, surpassing Bob Barker, who hosted The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007. Sajak was officially honored as such by the Guinness World Records with the episode taped on March 28, 2019, and aired May 8, 2019 (two days before the primetime version's 7,000th episode).[11][12]

Sajak had a small role as a Buffalo, New York newscaster in the 1982 comedy film Airplane II: The Sequel. When his late-night talk show on CBS premiered in January 1989, Sajak left the daytime version of Wheel and was replaced by former San Diego Chargers place-kicker Rolf Benirschke (who was later replaced by Bob Goen when the daytime show moved to CBS in July of that year). Sajak appeared on Super Password several times from 1984 to 1989, as well as Password Plus in 1981, shortly before taking on hosting duties on Wheel. Other game shows on which he appeared as a celebrity guest were Dream House, Just Men!, and Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour.

Sajak with Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune, circa 1986

Sajak hosted a short-lived late-night talk show on CBS from January 9, 1989 to April 13, 1990.[13] Dan Miller, Sajak's old friend and former anchor at WSM-TV in Nashville, joined him as his sidekick.[14] Sajak later became a frequent guest host for CNN's Larry King Live when King was unable to do the show.[15] Sajak became a regular substitute host for Regis Philbin on the syndicated Live with Regis and Kelly.[16] Sajak also hosted Pat Sajak Weekend on Fox News in 2003.[17] From at least 2002, Sajak hosted The Pat Sajak Baseball Hour, a syndicated weekly radio sports talk show that ended in 2006 due to scheduling conflicts.[18][19]

Sajak is an external director of conservative publishing house Eagle Publishing.[20] He has been a member of the board of directors for the Claremont Institute.

In 1983, Sajak portrayed Kevin Hathaway in the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 1994, Sajak appeared as himself on the children's cartoon show Rugrats.[21]

Sajak on Wheel of Fortune in 2006

In 1997, Sajak pulled an April Fool's Day prank on fans when he and Vanna White were contestants on an episode of Wheel hosted by Alex Trebek. The winnings of both Sajak and White were donated to charity (in this case, the American Cancer Society and the Boy Scouts of America). In return, Sajak hosted a regular episode of Jeopardy! in place of Trebek. Sajak also appeared at the beginning of a 2010 April Fool's episode, along with Jeff Probst and Neil Patrick Harris.

In 2001, Sajak appeared as himself in the episode "Inner Tube" on the sitcom The King of Queens.

Sajak began writing for the National Review Online in 2010. In his first post, Sajak questioned whether public employees should be allowed to vote on issues that would benefit them directly.[22][23] He also has contributed to the center-right sociopolitical/social networking website Ricochet.com.[24][25]

Sajak is the author of several puzzle games, the first and best-known of them being "Lucky Letters", which debuted in 2007. The games, which Sajak developed with puzzle developer David L. Hoyt, are syndicated through Universal Uclick.[26]

As of 2019, Sajak is the Hillsdale College board of trustees chair.[27][28][29] He was previously vice-chair for 15 years.[30] Hillsdale is a private Christian college.

Sajak has appeared on episodes of ESPN Radio's The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, as well as Le Batard's other show, Highly Questionable.[31][32]

Since 2020, Sajak has been credited as a Consulting Producer (since the start of Season 39) of Wheel of Fortune.

Since 2021, Sajak and White have hosted Primetime Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC.[33]

In September 2021, it was announced that both Sajak and White had signed on to continue as hosts of Wheel of Fortune through the 2023–24 season.[34] In 2021, Sajak voiced a singing bust in a Muppets Haunted Mansion television special.[35] Sajak has been a frequent celebrity narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional, appearing most recently in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.[36]

On June 12, 2023, Sajak announced that he would retire as host of Wheel of Fortune in 2024, after the conclusion of the show's 41st season.[37] Shortly afterwards, media personality Ryan Seacrest was announced as Sajak's successor.[38] His final episode was taped in April 2024[39] and aired on June 7, 2024. In June 2023, Sajak agreed to continue as a show consultant for three years after hosting and said he would continue as chairman of the board of trustees for Hillsdale College.[40] It was announced on July 11, 2024 that Sajak will remain the host of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.[41]

[edit]
Sajak with Vanna White in 2006

While at WSMV as a meteorologist in the mid-1970s, Sajak commented about "daytime highs and nighttime lows". This prompted songwriter Ben Peters to write "Daytime Friends", which became a number one hit for Kenny Rogers in 1977.[42]

Sajak was parodied in a 1980s Sesame Street sketch, with a Muppet named Pat Playjacks hosting "Squeal of Fortune". The goal was for the contestants (Prairie Dawn and The Count) to guess how many times a pig in the center of the wheel would squeal before the wheel stopped.[43]

During the 1980s, comedian Martin Short frequently portrayed a fictional character he called Ed Grimley, a hyperactive manchild who is obsessed with banal popular culture – Sajak in particular – on the sketch comedy television shows SCTV and Saturday Night Live.[44]

In 1986, Sajak and his Wheel of Fortune co-star Vanna White portrayed themselves on an episode of the NBC sitcom 227.[45]

In the fourth-season episode of The A-Team called "Wheel of Fortune", Sajak makes a cameo along with co-star Vanna White. In the episode, Murdock wins big at Wheel of Fortune due to Face's system of guessing the letters correctly.[citation needed]

In 1992, Sajak was a special guest star in the TV show The Commish. The episode first aired on November 7, 1992, and was called "The Two Faces of Ed". He played psychologist Brian Brandon.[46]

In the fourth episode of season three of Comedy Central's Brickleberry, "That Brother's My Father", Sajak gets kidnapped and becomes a hostage to the wheel of fortune. In the episode, the character of Connie, a strong and very large but typically kindhearted state park ranger, takes an unhealthy obsession with Sajak and his famous game show, ultimately tying him to a makeshift replica of the wheel itself and attempting a faux-game of Wheel of Fortune with him while behaving erratically.

In the fourth episode of season four of Abbott Elementary, Jacob Hill, a teacher at Abbott Elementary, dresses up as Pat Sajak for Halloween.

Personal life

[edit]

Sajak is married to Lesly Brown-Sajak, a photographer, with whom he has two children: a son, Patrick Michael James Sajak (born September 22, 1990), who is a doctor, having earned his medical degree in 2021,[47] and a daughter, Maggie Marie Sajak (born January 5, 1995), who is a social correspondent on Wheel of Fortune.[48] They live in Severna Park, Maryland,[49] with a second home in Los Angeles.[50]

Sajak is featured as a narrator in a brief film shown at the visitor center at Mount Vernon, the residence of George Washington, where he explains to tourists the attractions of the site.[51] From 1998 until the end of 2021, Sajak owned Maryland-based AM radio station WNAV in Annapolis.

Politics

[edit]

Sajak is a Republican, and has written a number of columns for the conservative magazine Human Events.[52] He is also a regular poster and podcast participant on the conservative blog Ricochet.com.[53] Sajak rejects the scientific consensus on climate change.[54][55] He is also a financial supporter of the Young America's Foundation, which sponsors conservative speakers on college campuses.[56] Sajak noted in his last appearance as host of the game show that he did not include politics into his hosting duties, saying that the show included "no social issues, no politics" and was "just a game."[57]

Sports

[edit]

In 2005, Sajak became an investor in the Golden Baseball League, an independent professional baseball league with teams in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Alberta, British Columbia, and Baja California.[58][59] During a guest appearance in the broadcast booth at a March 2012 Baltimore Orioles – Boston Red Sox spring-training game,[60] Sajak acknowledged that he had called some baseball games in the past.

Sajak is an avid fan of the Washington Capitals NHL team. He is a longtime season-ticket holder and made an on-ice appearance before game three of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals.[61]

Health

[edit]

Sajak underwent emergency intestinal surgery to remove a blockage on November 8, 2019.[62][63] While Sajak recovered, co-host Vanna White hosted in his place. The first taping day in which he was incapacitated was a Disney-themed Christmas episode week. Disney characters took over White's role at the puzzle board for that week. Sajak's daughter, Maggie, also helped White for a week.[64][65][66][67] Sajak returned to work on December 5, 2019.[68]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sajak, Pat (April 29, 2008). "The Left's Demonization of Hillary Clinton". Human Events. Retrieved April 30, 2022. not as a Conservative Republican delighted with the disarray on the Democratic side (which I am)
  2. ^ Elliot, Danielle (May 21, 2014). "Pat Sajak sparks Twitter backlash with 'unpatriotic racists' comment on climate change". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020. he said he is a 'Conservative Republican ...'
  3. ^ a b "Pat Sajak Biography". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  4. ^ "Pat Sajak Announces His Retirement from 'Wheel of Fortune' After 41 Seasons: 'The Time Has Come'".
  5. ^ a b "Meet Pat Sajak". patsajakgames.com. P.A.T. Productions and Uclick. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
  6. ^ Sajak, Pat; Nedler, Barrie (October 10, 2007). "Pat Sajak – Television Academy Interviews". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Famous Veterans: Pat Sajak". Military.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Sajak, Pat (June 7, 2014). "'Wheel of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Recounts His Days as an Army DJ". USO.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  9. ^ Shah, Diane K. (December 11, 1988). "The Good Fortunes of Pat Sajak". The New York Times. p. 4. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  10. ^ Griffin, Merv. Merv: Making the Good Life Last. New York: Pocket Books, 2003, page 101
  11. ^ "'Wheel of Fortune' celebrates 2 milestones this week". WLUK-TV. May 8, 2019. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak celebrates record-breaking career on popular gameshow". Guinness World Records. May 8, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "CBS Television Cancels 'The Pat Sajak Show'". The New York Times. April 10, 1990. p. C16. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Passings: Dan Miller". Los Angeles Times. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  15. ^ Sajak hosted at least eight episodes of Larry King Live, including December 26, 2000 Archived October 22, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; May 3, 2001 Archived January 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine; May 7, 2001 Archived October 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; May 8, 2001 Archived September 19, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; May 9, 2001 Archived October 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine; May 10, 2001 Archived October 24, 2020, at the Wayback Machine; June 4, 2001 Archived May 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine; and January 5, 2003, according to CNN transcripts.
  16. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 18, 2011). "Regis Philbin Leaving Live!: Who Should Replace Him?". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "Pat Sajak Weekend". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  18. ^ Deitsch, Richard (August 5, 2002). "Q+A Pat Sajak". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  19. ^ Hubbard, Ryan (March 10, 2008). "Pat Sajak quips he's used performing-enhancing drugs for Wheel of Fortune". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  20. ^ "Regnery Publishing: "Eagle Publishing Corporate Information"". Archived from the original on April 14, 2009.
  21. ^ Lynne, Amanda (February 24, 2022). "When Was Pat Sajak On Days Of Our Lives?". The List. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023. He even got to play an animated version of himself on the Nickelodeon cartoon "Rugrats" in 1994.
  22. ^ Sajak, Pat (October 13, 2010). "Public Employees and Elections: A Conflict of Interest?". National Review Online. Archived from the original on October 24, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  23. ^ Amira, Dan (October 14, 2010). "Pat Sajak Should Stick to Telling People Which Letters Are in Certain Words and Phrases". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on October 17, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  24. ^ "Pat Sajak Profile". Silent Cal Productions. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  25. ^ American Veterans Center (May 25, 2011). "2011 National Memorial Day Parade Lineup". www.marching.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017.
  26. ^ PatSajakGames.com Archived October 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  27. ^ "Leadership". Hillsdale College. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  28. ^ Siacon, Aleanna. "'Wheel of Fortune's' Pat Sajak to chair Board of Trustees at Hillsdale College". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Board of Trustees". Hillsdale College. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  30. ^ McGhee, Kaylee (April 25, 2019). "Sajak to take the helm on board of trustees". Hillsdale Collegian. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  31. ^ "Dan LeBatard & Stugotz". AM 790 The Ticket. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017. friends of the program ... Pat Sajak
  32. ^ Peters, Michah (December 12, 2014). "Pat Sajak rapped a few bars of a Rae Sremmurd song on Highly Questionable". For the Win. USA Today. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  33. ^ Stone, Natalie. "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Coming to ABC with Pat Sajak and Vanna White Set to Host". People. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  34. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 8, 2021). "Pat Sajak & Vanna White Sign On To Host 'Wheel Of Fortune' Through 2024". Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  35. ^ Haring, Bruce (September 23, 2021). "'Muppets Haunted Mansion' Scares Up First Trailer For Disney+ Halloween Special". Deadline Hollywood. Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  36. ^ MyNews13 Narrator Lineup Revealed Retrieved August 18, 2023
  37. ^ Seitz, Loree (June 12, 2023). "Pat Sajak Says He's Retiring as 'Wheel of Fortune' Host After Upcoming Season". TheWrap. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  38. ^ Koblin, John (June 27, 2023). "Ryan Seacrest Named New Host of 'Wheel of Fortune'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  39. ^ Petski, Denise (April 5, 2024). "Pat Sajak's Final 'Wheel Of Fortune' Episode Air Date Set". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  40. ^ Jackson, Dory (June 16, 2023). "Pat Sajak Lines Up Next Gig After 'Wheel of Fortune' Retirement News". People. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  41. ^ Porter, Rick (July 10, 2024). "Pat Sajak Returning as 'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune' Host at ABC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  42. ^ Musix (September 21, 2023). "Celebrating Kenny Rogers's Timeless Hit: The Untold Story of 'Daytime Friends'". Country Musix. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  43. ^ "Squeal of Fortune". YouTube. May 14, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  44. ^ Luppi, Kathleen (April 15, 2016). "Ed Grimley would go completely mental". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  45. ^ "The Wheel of Misfortune - 227". tv.apple.com. Apple, Inc. October 4, 1986. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  46. ^ "Pat Sajak". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  47. ^ Wheel of Fortune (May 31, 2021). "Pat Congratulates His Son, Dr. Sajak!". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  48. ^ Ibrahim, Samanthat (September 9, 2021). "Pat Sajak's Daughter Maggie joins 'Wheel of Fortune'". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  49. ^ "Pat Sajak's House in Severna Park, MD (#2)". May 18, 2009. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  50. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (May 12, 2005). "Wheel of Very Good Fortune for Sajak". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  51. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (October 24, 2006). "Fleshing Out a Founding Father". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  52. ^ "Author: Pat Sajak | Human Events". humanevents.com. January 1, 1970. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  53. ^ "Join the Conversation on Ricochet.com". Ricochet. Archived from the original on July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  54. ^ "'Wheel of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Under Fire for Global Warming Tweet?!". Fox News. May 21, 2014. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2014. Sajak has long acknowledged that he is a climate change skeptic.
  55. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (May 20, 2014). "Pat Sajak's vicious climate change denial, and the world of conservative game show hosts". Salon. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  56. ^ Saul, Stephanie (May 20, 2017). "The Conservative Force Behind Speeches Roiling College Campuses". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  57. ^ Alexander, Bryan (June 7, 2024). "How Pat Sajak says farewell to 'Wheel of Fortune' viewers in final episode". USA Today. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  58. ^ Golden Baseball League Ownership Group (Biographies) Archived August 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  59. ^ Is Pat Sajak Still Alive? Pat Sajak Biography, Net Worth, Career, Age, Wife Archived July 1, 2022, at the Wayback Machine (Correctvibe.com, Retrieved March 9, 2022)
  60. ^ "Bobby Valentine Meets With 'Wheel of Fortune' Host Pat Sajak Prior to Red Sox-Orioles Game (Photo)". NESN. WordPress. March 23, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  61. ^ Zielonka, Adam (June 2, 2018). "Joe Gibbs, Pat Sajak, Sting among celebs supporting Capitals at Game 3". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  62. ^ Haas, Mariah (November 8, 2019). "Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak recovering from emergency surgery, Vanna White to fill in". Fox News. New York City: Fox Corporation. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  63. ^ Telling, Gillian (November 8, 2019). "Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak Recovering From Emergency Surgery; Vanna White to Host in His Absence". People. New York City. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  64. ^ Ganz, Jami (January 7, 2020). "'Special letter-toucher' Maggie Sajak appears on 'Wheel of Fortune' as host dad Pat recovers from surgery". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  65. ^ Kubota, Samantha (November 8, 2019). "'Wheel of Fortune' taping interrupted for Pat Sajak emergency surgery, Vanna White to host". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  66. ^ "Pat Sajak Sidelined By Emergency Surgery, Vanna White To Host". TMZ. November 8, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  67. ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (January 7, 2020). "Pat Sajak's daughter turns letters on 'Wheel of Fortune' as Vanna White takes over hosting duties". CBS News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  68. ^ "'Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak Returns to Work Following Surgery". TV Insider. December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
[edit]
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Media offices
Preceded by Host of Wheel of Fortune (daytime)
December 28, 1981–January 9, 1989 		Succeeded by
New show Host of Wheel of Fortune (syndicated)
September 19, 1983–December 6, 2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Vanna White
 Host of Wheel of Fortune (syndicated)
December 23, 2019–January 3, 2020
Host of Wheel of Fortune (syndicated)
January 13, 2020–June 7, 2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by College Bowl host
1984 (Televised semifinals and finals) 		Succeeded by
Awards
Preceded by Daytime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Game Show Host
1993 		Succeeded by
Daytime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Game Show Host
1997–1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Keke Palmer
2024 (Jan.)
 Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Host of a Game Show
2024 (Sept.) 		Most recent
Preceded by Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award
at the Daytime Emmy Awards
2011
With: Alex Trebek 		Succeeded by
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