:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(742x272:744x274)/why-vanna-white-had-to-miss-5-episodes-100323-tout-ecf9ba4d90b8451aadb2232276d6bcd4.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Vanna White bids an emotional farewell to Pat Sajak ahead of his final show")
Vanna White Gets Emotional as She Bids Farewell to ‘Brother’ Pat Sajak Ahead of His Final Wheel of Fortune Episode
“You made me who I am, you really did,” White said to Sajak in a heartfelt video
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Vanna White is saying goodbye to Pat Sajak after over 40 years on Wheel of Fortune together.
Sajak, 77, will host his last episode of the family-favorite show on Friday, June 7. Before that, White, 67, gave a heartfelt and emotional speech honroing Sajak’s legacy and praising the pair’s longtime friendship.
“I can’t believe that tomorrow is our last show together,” White said. “I don’t know how to put into words what these past 40 years have meant to me but I’m going to try.”
She continued: “8000 episodes went by like that. When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and so confident, Pat. You made me who I am, you really did.”
White then noted that although the two have “grown up” and had fun together in front of the cameras, their time spent behind the scenes was most special to her.
“As much fun as we’ve had on camera, those memories, milestones and life events we shared with our families outside the studio are my favorite,” she said.
As White recalled the role Sajak has played in her and her family’s lives, she began to cry.
“We’ve watched our children grow up together, we’ve traveled all over the world, we’ve eaten hundreds of meals together, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve celebrated,” she said through tears.
“What an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had,” she added.
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As the video ended, White told Sajak that she has “enjoyed every minute” knowing him.
“As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by,” she concluded. “You’re like a brother to me and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
As the sweet video message was over, cameras cut to Sajak and White standing on the Wheel of Fortune stage beside one another, hugging as the crowd clapped.
All Sajak could say was, “Oh my.”
In June 2023, the television personality announced his retirement from the show after its 41st season.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he shared on Twitter. “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!)”
Ryan Seacrest was later announced as Sajak’s replacement.
Vanna White sends tearful farewell to Pat Sajak on ‘Wheel of Fortune’: ‘I love you, Pat!’
Vanna White is bidding a tearful farewell to her “Wheel of Fortune” co-host Pat Sajak.
White, 67, taped an emotional message played in front of Sajak, 77, and the “Wheel of Fortune” audience, which airs Thursday (check local listings), one night before Sajak’s final broadcast as host after a 41-year partnership.
“I can’t believe tomorrow is our last show together,” White said, managing a smile in the video. “I don’t know how to put into words what these last 41 years have meant to me. But I’m going to try. Eight thousand episodes went by like that.”
White praised Sajak for helping her overcome the stage fright she endured when starting the show, her first TV job.
“You made me feel so comfortable, so confident,” said White, who has gone onto global “Wheel of Fortune” stardom. “You made me who I am. You really did.”
“What an incredible and unforgettable journey we have had,” White said, holding back tears. “And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it with you.”
She took a deep breath and continued.
The end of an era is upon us as “Wheel of Fortune” fans everywhere gear up to say goodbye to a seminal TV game show figure.
Host Pat Sajak’s final appearance on the show is set to run in early June, following a week of farewell episodes. Sajak in June 2023 announced his plans to retire after his 41st season with the show, saying “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
Revisit his best moments on the show, alongside co-host Vanna White.
“As this chapter comes to an end, I know you’ll still be close by,” said White. “You’re like a brother to me, and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.”
‘Oh my,” Sajak said watching the video from the “Wheel of Fortune” set next to White. The two embraced on the stage.
White will continue as co-host and letter-turner on “Wheel of Fortune” in Season 42 with new host Ryan Seacrest. Sajak will give his own farewell speech in Friday’s final episode.
Pat Sajak farewellHis final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episode after more than four decades
Sajak was originally against hiring Vanna White: ‘She was so nervous’
Sajak finds it hilarious that he was originally opposed to hiring White when original co-host Susan Stafford left in 1982, while the show still aired on NBC. “Wheel of Fortune” creator Merv Griffin conducted a talent search for the spot, which came down to three young women, including White. The model and Georgia beauty pageant runner-up was not Sajak’s choice.
“She was really sweet and seemed like a really nice person. But she was so nervous,” Sajak said in his only farewell interview with his daughter, Maggie Sajak. “Her lips were trembling and she was perspiring. I thought (Griffin) was never going to hire her. Merv is smarter than I am. He saw something in her and knew the nerves would go away.”
Griffin turned out to be correct. White became such a star on “Wheel of Fortune” that fans named their daughters Vanna at the peak of the game show’s worldwide popularity. “I shudder to think how life could have been different,” Sajak said. “She is just a sweetheart and has made my life fabulous.”
Are Pat Sajak and Vanna White really friends?
The stars of “Wheel of Fortune” have a close relationship off the set that has endured for decades. Maggie Sajak talked about the family friendship she and her brother Patrick had with White’s family.
“We grew up hanging out with Vanna’s kids Nikko and Gigi,” Maggie Sajak recalled. “Me and Patrick were always at their house or they were at ours.”
“As much fun as we had on camera, those life events we shared with our families outside of the studio are my favorite,” White said in her video. “We’ve watched our children grow up together. We’ve traveled around the world together. We have laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve celebrated.”
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