Pat Sajak was awarded for his many years of hosting duties Wheel of fortune for the last time.
Sajak, who started the away game Wheel of fortune 1981 and officially retired in June 2024, took home the award for Outstanding Game Show Host at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, September 7.
The 77-year-old television personality was not present to accept the honor, who was also in attendance Celebrity Family Feudis Steve Harvey, Dangeris Ken Jennings, Passwordis Keke Palmer, i The weakest linkJane Lynch as nominated in the category.
With the win in his final season, Sajak won his first Emmy in 26 years. He has been nominated 23 times and previously won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1993, 1997 and 1998. (The category moved from the Daytime Emmys to the Primetime Emmys in 2023, and the first Primetime award went to Palmer.)
Sajak also previously received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards. Danger!is Alex Trebek.
Pat Sajak reflects on ‘satisfying’ travel hosting Wheel of fortune On the eve of its last episode: ‘Splendid 40 years’
Vanna White (left) and Pat Sajak on ‘Wheel of Fortune’.
Ricky Middlesworth/ABC via Getty
Sajak took over Wheel of fortune hosting duties from Chuck Woolery at 1981, and the following year he was joined by co-host Vanna White. The two remained on the show for four decades before Sajak announced his retirement in June 2023.
At the time, he wrote via X (formerly Twitter): “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which starts in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride and I’ll have more to say in coming months. Thank you all (if nothing else, it will keep the clickbait pages busy!)”
A few weeks later, Ryan Seacrest was confirmed as his replacement, while White will remain on the show and continue into the 2025-2026 season.
“It’s been a little wistful and all, but I’m enjoying it and taking it all in and thinking about a great ride,” Sajak said of running the show. “Somewhere along the way, we became more than a popular show. We became part of popular culture. And more importantly, we became part of people’s lives. And that was very gratifying.”
Pat Sajak says goodbye to Wheel of fortune Spectators in emotional speech: ‘Thank you for letting me into your lives’
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/pat-sajak-040624-604aa17d7019498d8c92b521349333e1.jpg)
Pat Sajak on the ‘Wheel of Fortune’.
Christopher Willard/DISNEY via Getty
When it was time for his final episode on June 7, Sajak gave a moving speech in which he expressed his gratitude to his loyal viewers, the cast and crew, and his family members.
“Thank you for letting me into your lives, every time we filmed the show I met three new people from all parts of this wonderful country and the world who were kind and considerate, who cheered for each other, who spoke with great pride about their family, their hometown, their friends, their schools, their jobs, even their pets,” he said. “In the end, they were the real stars of the show. I really like those people and I’m going to miss the opportunity to get to know them more.”
Pat Sajak on the ‘Incredible Privilege’ and ‘Responsibility’ he had in front of the audience in the final Wheel of fortune Episode
After he paid his contribution to the village of people who made Wheel of fortune into what it is today, he addressed White, calling her his “professional other half.”
“We’ve seen a lot of changes in each other’s lives over the years, but we’ve always been there for each other,” he said. “Although I will greatly miss working with her, I take comfort in the fact that we live about five miles from each other so we will see each other a lot. But I will miss our nightly meetings and her laughter and her good nature.”
Although Sajak officially retired Wheel of fortuneit will not be the last of him on television screens. In July, it was announced that he would return to host the upcoming season The wheel of fortune of celebrities, which premieres on October 7.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Wheel of fortune airs weekdays (check local listings).
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education