His final spin: Pat Sajak’s history on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
nypost.comPat Sajak, 77, ends his legendary run – spanning over four decades – hosting “Wheel of Fortune” on June 7.Sajak makes history as the longest-running host of any game show (beating Bob Barker, who hosted “The Price Is Right” for a 35 year tenure, from 1972 to 2007).
Sajak told USA today about “Wheel of Fortune,” that the show is “sort of a safe-haven half-hour where nobody gets hurt, and everybody has fun.
If I went in to pitch this show to a network today, the pitch would last about eight seconds, and they’d go, ‘Thank you, next,’ ’cause it’s old-fashioned.”“We’re just playing hangman and spinning a giant wheel,” he added. “And yet it’s become a part of people’s daily ritual, and it’s a nice spot to be in.”In 2019, the Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged Sajak for that honor.
Aside from that record, Sajak has also been nominated for 23 Daytime Emmy Awards (taking home three wins), he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards.Sajak first started on the popular game show in 1981 (in the daytime version), as well as the syndicated version of the show, which began in 1983.
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