Severna Park resident Patrick Sajak’s last spin on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ will be June 7, according to a spokesperson for Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show.
The 77-year-old game show host announced in summer of 2023 that he would be retiring as host in a tweet.
“Well, the time has come. I have decided that the 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I will have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all,” Sajak posted in June.
Sajak has been host of the show, which is based on the game Hangman, since 1981. Contestants guess the letters to fill out words and phrases for money and prizes. In a previous career as a disc jockey for the U.S. Armed Forces he had the job of yelling “Good Morning, Vietnam.”
Well, the time has come. 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!)
— Pat Sajak (@PatOnWheel) June 12, 2023
In 1989, Sajak married Gambrills native Lesly Brown, at St. Mary’s parish in downtown Annapolis. Two years later, the couple purchased a home in Severna Park in the Bluff Point community for 1.275 million dollars. The property was sold May last year for $0, The Capital previously reported.
In 1998, Sajak purchased WNAV-1430AM, one of the last radio stations in Annapolis and longtime broadcaster for U.S. Naval Academy athletics, selling it to BMSC Media LLC, a Maryland company, in 2021.
Sajak was not available for an interview. In September, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest will become the new host, according to a Sony Picture’s spokesperson.