Pat Sajak has stated goodbye to Wheel of Fortune viewers in an emotional video shared hours earlier than his closing sign-off.
The longtime sport present host, 77, is stepping down from his internet hosting gig after greater than 40 years, together with his final episode airing tonight.
Forward of the section’s broadcast, the manufacturing launched a teaser of the ultimate episode, through which Sajak thanks viewers for “permitting me into your lives.”
“I’ve just a few thanks and acknowledgments earlier than I’m going. And I need to begin with all of you watching on the market,” Sajak says, addressing the digicam on the Wheel of Fortune set.
“It’s been an unimaginable privilege to be invited into thousands and thousands of properties, night time after night time, decade after decade,” he continues. “And I all the time felt that the privilege got here with the duty to maintain this day by day half-hour a protected place for household enjoyable. No social points. No politics. Nothing embarrassing, I hope. Only a sport. However progressively it turned greater than that.”
He provides: “What an honor to play even a small half in all of that. Thanks for permitting me into your lives.”
Sajak introduced final June that he could be retiring from his tenured place. “I’ve determined that our forty first season, which begins in September, will probably be my final,” he stated on the time. “It’s been a beautiful experience, and I’ll have extra to say within the coming months. Many due to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll hold the clickbait websites busy!)”
His longtime co-host Vanna White paid him an emotional tribute, previewed on YouTube earlier than his final episode.
Describing Sajak as “like a brother” and a “lifelong good friend”, White stated: “I can’t imagine that tomorrow is our final present collectively. “I don’t know the best way to put into phrases what these previous 41 years have meant to me, however I’m gonna strive!”
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With a snap of a finger, she added: “8,000 episodes glided by like that.”
Reflecting on her 1982 debut episode, White stated: “Once I first began, I used to be so inexperienced. You made me so comfy and made me so assured, Pat. You made me who I’m. You actually did.
“As this chapter of our lives is coming to an finish, I do know you’ll nonetheless be shut by. You’re like a brother to me, and I take into account you a real, lifelong good friend who I’ll all the time adore. I like you, Pat.”
Wheel of Fortune has aired within the U.S. since 1975. It was initially introduced by Chuck Woolery earlier than Sajak took over internet hosting duties in 1981. It was revealed final 12 months that American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest will probably be taking on for Sajak, together with his first season airing this fall.
Sajak’s closing Wheel of Fortune episode airs tonight at 7:30 pm.
