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Within hours of Pat Sajak announcing that the upcoming season of Wheel of Fortune will be his last, fans of the long-running quiz show started speculating about who will replace him.
On Monday, the beloved TV personality, 76, took to Twitter to say he is leaving the role he has held since 1981 after the show's 41st season, which starts in September.
"Well, the time has come," Sajak wrote. "I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"
Sajak's announcement ends an era in which the host became a mainstay on American TV, alongside Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White, who joined the show in 1982. Sajak took the reins from Chuck Woolery, who hosted the show when it first launched in 1975.
While fans have one more season to enjoy Sajak's slick presenting style and comedic quips, many have already started looking to the future.
Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw, who broke the news of Sajak's retirement on Monday, followed up with a tweet that evening about a possible replacement.
"One candidate to replace Pat Sajak? @RyanSeacrest," Shaw wrote, adding that Seacrest "has been talking to the producers of Wheel of Fortune. Some sources say he's the frontrunner. Others say he is just one of many interested."
One candidate to replace Pat Sajak?@RyanSeacrest. The host has been talking to the producers of Wheel of Fortune.
— Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw) June 13, 2023
Some sources say he's the frontrunner. Others say he is just one of many interested. https://t.co/dCiKZ2Ch0s
That comment appeared to align with—and also go against—the views of many Wheel of Fortune fans as they weighed in with recommendations of their own.
Other names that have popped up are Ted Danson, Mario Lopez, rapper and onetime contestant Snoop Dogg and even Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender influencer who has become the face of a national culture war over businesses' support of the LGBTQ+ community. Mark Consuelos, who recently replaced Seacrest to join wife Kelly Ripa on ABC's Live, also got a mention.
Other more likely contenders mentioned include Sajak's daughter, Maggie Sajak, who joined Wheel of Fortune as its social correspondent in 2021, and White, who has four decades of experience on the show and served as lead host for three weeks in 2019 as Pat Sajak recovered from surgery.
Some fans pitched LeVar Burton as their top choice. Similar calls were made for the star to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! following his death in 2020. But Burton's weeklong trial run on Jeopardy! in 2021 proved to be a ratings disaster.
Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik now share hosting duties on the show, after executive producer Mike Richards' notably brief stint at the helm.
Referring to the upheaval Jeopardy! faced before permanently settling on two hosts last year, one fan said: "They still haven't found anyone as good to replace Alex Trebek over on Jeopardy. Unless they give the job to Vanna White, I suspect this will be much of the same."
The end of an era. Pat Sajak is retiring from Wheel of Fortune.
— That Walking Guy (@mchkzn) June 13, 2023
They still haven’t found anyone as good to replace Alex Trebek over on Jeopardy. Unless they give the job to Vanna White, I suspect this will be much of the same. https://t.co/hAt2KywBNm
Amid the flood of celebrity names that made the candidate list, one Twitter user suggested the hiring of a TV personality not nationally known.
"I think WOF should go with an unknown news man (insert name here) as a replacement," the user said. "It's not foreign to them. Pat was a local LA weatherman which is where Merv Griffin discovered him. That said, no one can replace Pat Sajak."
I think WOF should go with an unknown news man (insert name here) as a replacement. It’s not foreign to them. Pat was a local LA weatherman which is where Merv Griffin discovered him. That said, no one can replace Pat Sajak.
— DAJ (@DAJ812364) June 13, 2023
On that subject, another fan lamented that while going for a lesser-known name proved successful in the past, it may not be the way things go this time around.
"Pat Sajak was a local news weatherman when he got the Wheel of Fortune job 4 decades ago," the fan said. "Now they'll probably replace him with someone already famous for doing 2 seasons of a sitcom 20 years ago."
While no decision on a new host has been officially announced, it was revealed on Monday that Sajak will remain part of Wheel of Fortune for at least three years after he steps down as host.
In a statement to the media, Suzanne Prete, executive vice president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said Sajak would continue working on the show as a consultant.
"As the host of Wheel of Fortune, Pat has entertained millions of viewers across America for 40 amazing years," Prete said. "We are incredibly grateful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years and we look forward to celebrating his outstanding career throughout the upcoming season."
She added: "Pat has agreed to continue as a consultant on the show for three years following his last year hosting, so we're thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family!"
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more