Vanna White paid tribute to her longtime colleague Pat Sajak prior to his final edition of Wheel of Fortune after more than four decades
at the helm of the popular game show, which airs Friday.
White, 67, said in a clip on YouTube Thursday, ‘I can’t believe that tomorrow is our last show together.
‘I don’t know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to me, but I’m going to try.’
The clip included a montage of the tandem’s work on the program, which spanned around 8,000 episodes since White joined the show in 1982, a year after Sajak.
‘When I first started, I was so green,’ White said. ‘You made me so comfortable and made me so confident, Pat – you made me who I am, you really did.’
White noted how she and Sajak, 77, have been family friends off-camera over the span of the past four decades.
‘As the years have gone by, we’ve grown up on television, but we’ve also shared so much more behind the scenes,’ White said. ‘And as much fun as we had on camera, those memories, milestones and life events we shared with our families outside the studio are my favorite.’
The video montage accompanying White’s tribute included footage with both of their families.
White is mother to two children with ex-husband George Santo Pietro: son Nikko, 29, and daughter Giovanna, 26; while Sajak is father to son Patrick, 33, and daughter Maggie, 29, with wife Lesly Brown, 59.
White noted how she and Sajak have ‘watched our children grow up together,’ ‘traveled all over the world’ and ‘eaten hundreds of meals together’ in their time working on the game show.
‘We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve celebrated,’ White said. ‘Oh, gosh – what an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it with you.’
She continued: ‘As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by. You’re like a brother to me, and I consider you a true lifelong friend, who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.’
The tribute concluded with a clip of White blowing a kiss, and hugging her longtime colleague.
The famed TV tandem’s time on the game show has spanned around 8,000 episodes since White joined the show in 1982, a year after Sajak
White said in a clip Thursday, ‘I can’t believe that tomorrow is our last show together’
White noted how she and Sajak have been family friends off-camera over the span of the past four decades
The TV personality said, ‘What an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had’
White joined the show in 1982, a year after Sajak began his tenure on the program
White noted how she and Sajak have ‘traveled all over the world’ in their time working on the game show
Sajak and longtime costar Vanna White have been featured on the game show since the 1980s
Sajak made the announcement on his Twitter page in June of 2023
A tweet last year from the game show confirmed the host’s pending exit from the series
Sajak broke the news of his departure from the show last June, tweeting, ‘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!)’
A subsequent tweet from the long-running game show read: ‘Thank you to the best host in the biz. Wheel of Fortune would not be what it is today without you, Pat. Looking forward to Season 41 being better than ever!’
According to iMDb Thursday, Sajak has hosted 7942 episodes of the nighttime edition of the series to date from 1983–2024.
Sajak got his start as host of the daytime series beginning in 1981, exiting that edition to host his own late night series in 1989. The daytime edition was canceled in 1991.
He has won three Daytime Emmys for his hosting efforts on the series and in 2011, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the TV staple.
White, a former Miss Georgia USA contestant in 1978, has acted in minor roles and appeared as herself in films and TV. She will continue with her duties on the show at least through the 2025-2026 season after inking a contract extension last fall, with Ryan Seacrest set to replace Sajak as the host.
