Pat Sajak Prepares for ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Comeback Tonight
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Pat Sajak is ready to make his return to the wheel.
The 78-year-old TV personality officially retired from his longtime gig as the Wheel of Fortune host in June. However, he is about to make somewhat of a return, as he hosts a special holiday episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on Monday, December 2.
He took to X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the appearance, joking, “Apparently I’m back on TV tonight. I guess I’d better shave and shower. @celebritywof @ABCNetwork.” Fans flooded the post with celebratory comments like, “Welcome back, sir! You gave us a holiday present for viewers tonight.”
Of course, that one episode isn’t the only appearance Sajak will be making — it’s just the final one of 2024. The beloved retired host will return for the rest of the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune episodes for this season, which have been pushed to 2025 so ABC could prioritize Monday Night Football.
The change is likely because the episodes of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune have already been taped, including a Christmas episode that would not make much sense to air following the holidays in 2025.
Fans had actually pointed out this issue when the news was first announced in October, with one writing on X, “When the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Christmas episode airs in Spring/Summer 2025,” along with a gif of Andy Samberg’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine character saying, “Well this is awkward.”
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So for this one week, the holiday episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will air, while the Cleveland Browns-Denver Broncos NFL game will be on ESPN. The celebrity contestants featured on the December 2 episode include Chance the Rapper (playing for SocialWorks), Dionne Warwick (playing for North Jersey Community Research Initiative), and Lil Jon (playing for Open Paths Counseling Center).
The rest of the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune episodes will debut in 2025, though the specific release date has not yet been announced. These episodes will mark Sajak’s last hurrah after the seasoned host retired from Wheel of Fortune after 41 years.
Ryan Seacrest has taken the helm following Sajak’s retirement, beginning as the host in season 42. Though fans have been iffy about the new host, Seacrest has proved to be a boon for the show’s ratings.
Wheel of Fortune averaged 7.99 million viewers during Seacrest’s first month, and during that time, the show was “the most-watched entertainment series across broadcast, cable, and syndication,” according to Nielsen data.
