A month after undergoing emergency surgery for a blocked bowel, “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak spills the beans.

In his first interview since the operation, Sajak told “Good Morning America” that he felt he would die moments before the surgery.

In November, the game show host began to endure “excruciating” agony while out for a morning stroll with his daughter. He was doubled over in pain hours later, about to enter surgery.

“I was lying on the bed in the fetal position,” he explained. “They try to treat your pain with numerous medications. And none of it – none of it – worked.”

Later, he said, his physicians gave him a medicine that took away his pain.

.

“All of a sudden, I wasn’t thinking about the discomfort,” he explained. “I just got these amazing pastels and faced flowing out of it.”

“I could hear my wife and daughter talking in the background. They sounded a mile away but were right next to me,” he explained. “They were conversing with one another. And I recall thinking, not morbidly, this must be death. This must be how death feels.’”

He was concerned for his wife and children then and was saddened that they would “have to cope with the fallout,” he said.

Of course, Sajak survived the procedure, and his worries about death were unfounded.

“It turns out that I was merely high,” he laughed.

“Good Morning America,” said Sajak’s procedure was “totally successful.”

He said doctors detected no underlying cause of the intestinal blockage. Therefore he doesn’t need to change his lifestyle.

“I’ve been feeling extremely terrific for several weeks,” Sajak explained. “I’ve been back in the studio, doing shows. Even after spinning the wheel, nothing popped. So I believe that is OK.”

Sajak’s longstanding co-host, Vanna White, stepped in to fill his shoes while he was healing. In the conversation, Sajak joked that he’s concerned she’ll take over as the primary host.

“I discovered she enjoys hosting, and I’m a little nervous,” he admitted.

Despite his quips, Sajak appears comfortable in his role on “Wheel of Fortune.”

“I’m still on my guard,” he remarked.

Pat Sajak, the host of Wheel of Fortune, has a daughter named Maggie Sajak. She has grown up since her birth in 1995. Pat and his wife Lesly Brown also have a son named Patrick. Pat Sajak retired in June 2023.

On May 10, 2023, Maggie hosted Wheel of Fortune for the first time, filling in for Vanna White, who was playing as a contestant. Pat and Maggie, who share a strong bond, have a close relationship. In September 2022, Maggie expressed her love for her dad by posting a touching tribute to his 40 years on the show.

Maggie Sajak started her career in country music when she was a teenager and later became known for her role on Wheel of Fortune. Here’s a simple rundown of everything about Pat Sajak’s daughter.

Maggie was born on January 5, 1995, to Pat and Lesly. Lesly is Pat’s second wife, and they got married in 1989 after Pat divorced Sherrill Sajak in 1986.

Maggie has an older brother named Patrick, born in 1990. Patrick is not as well-known as his sister, but Pat mentioned on TV in 2021 that Patrick graduated from medical school. Maggie shared the news on Instagram, expressing her pride in a post with a picture of herself and Patrick.

Maggie is studying law right now. She finished her undergrad at Princeton and did more schooling at Columbia.

In an interview, Maggie shared that she started playing a small acoustic guitar when she was around 7 or 8 years old. However, she received her first proper guitar as a gift from her grandparents on her 13th birthday.

Maggie has been on the show many times over the years, but she hosted it for the first time on May 10, 2023, stepping in for White.