How Long has Wheel of Fortune Been on the Air with Pat Sajak

When you come to this page, you may want to know information about how long Pat Sajak has been on Wheel of Fortune. If you really want to know this information, you have to read this whole article. In this page, we will share that crucial information for you.

How Long Has Pat Sajak Been on the “Wheel of Fortune” Show?

Pat Sajak began hosting the show in 1981, when it first aired on network daytime television. He is extending his lead as the longest-running game show host in television history. A few months ago, Pat Sajak celebrated his 40th anniversary as the host of the Wheel of Fortune show. Pat Sajak celebrated the historic achievement by tweeting several fun facts that emphasize how long he has been a part of Wheel of Fortune.

How Long has Wheel of Fortune Been on the Air with Pat Sajak

Pat Sajak said that when he started hosting the Wheel of Fortune show with Susan Stafford 40 years ago, the top ten TV shows included ‘Dallas,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ ‘Three’s Company,’ and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.

Originally, Wheel of Fortune began in the year of 1975 as a daytime series on NBC. In the year of 1981, Pat Sajak stepped in to replace former host named Chuck Woolery alongside Susan Stafford. The new version of the Wheel of Fortune show premiered on September 19, 1983. Eventually, Susan Stafford left in 1982 and current hostess Vanna White, took the spot.

On March 22, 2019, Guinness World Records recognized Pat Sajak for having the longest career as a show host. Since he joined Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak has been nominated for a whopping 19 Emmys for his hosting duties and also has walked away with the award three times.

Also, Maggie Sajak, honored her dad’s special anniversary by posting a throwback picture from his early days as the host. “Happy 40th Wheel-iversary to this guy!” she shared. “On this day in 1981, @patsajak hosted his very first episode of @WheelofFortune and the rest is history!” In September, Pat Sajak’s daughter became a member of the Wheel of Fortune family when she was named the show’s new online correspondent.

Maggie Sajak posts the exclusive videos, behind-the-scenes clips and interviews with the hosts and contestants to the Wheel of Fortune’s site and social media accounts. According to research, Maggie Sajak briefly had a stint on the show in January 2020 when she took over Vanna White’s letter-turning duties. Her father Pat Sajak was recovering from an emergency surgery at the time and Vanna White acted as the main host. To celebrate her new title, Maggie Sajak posted a family photo on Instagram which showed her and brother Patrick, as the children with their father and mother. The family are standing next to the show’s classic roulette-style wheel in the snap.

Vanna White joined Pat Sajak as the hostess of “Wheel of Fortune” Show

Vanna White joined Pat Sajak as the hostess of “Wheel of Fortune” Show

Vanna White stepped in to replace former host named Susan Stafford in 1982 as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune. She auditioned with 200 other women to fill the spot left vacant by the previous hostess, Susan Stafford. Griffin, the creator of the show, was the one to decide on Vanna White as the new hostess. We get information that Pat Sajak did not recommend Vanna White and told Griffin not to choose her. Pat Sajak said that Vanna White was the most nervous, by far, of any of them. However, Griffin did not listen to Pat Sajak and kept Vanna White as the hostess.

Based on the research, Vanna White and Pat Sajak have been hostesses of Wheel of Fortune for several decades. Shortly after Vanna White made her debut on the show, “Vanna-mania” swept the nation. The people from America could not get enough of the nice woman turning the letters with a big smile on her face. When asked by CBS Sunday Morning regarding when she knew that she had made it big, Vanna White said that she saw her face on the cover of Newsweek.

By the way, how long has Vanna White Been on the “Wheel of Fortune” show? Need to know that Vanna White has been on the Wheel of Fortune show for about 40 years. For your information, her first official episode was December 13, 1982.

About the Original Host of the “Wheel of Fortune” Show

Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford

In the year of 1975, Wheel of Fortune first premiered, and the network version of the show was hosted by Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford. They hosted the Wheel of Fortune show from 1975 until 1981.

We get information that the two ended up leaving over a salary dispute with the creator of the show, Griffin, and NBC. Chuck Woolery wanted his pay to go from $5,000 per week to $10,000 per week, but Griffin offered $7,500 and NBC said they would pay the rest. Eventually, the offer was cancelled when Griffin threatened to move the show to CBS.

On December 25, 1981, Chuck Woolery left the show after his final episode on December 25, 1981. Later, Susan Stafford left the Wheel of Fortune show to help cancer patients in Houston, Texas. Susan Stafford wrote a book called “Stop the Wheel, I Want to Get Off!” about her time on the Wheel of Fortune show.

What Historic Prize Did a Contestant Win on Wheel of Fortune?

In this last paragraph, we are going to inform you about a historic prize a contestant wins on the Wheel of Fortune show. We get information that Laura Trammell won a great prize from the show. For your information, Laura Trammell lives in Orange County (California). She teaches public elementary school. She was a contestant on an episode of the Wheel of Fortune show which aired on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Then, she became the first person to win a house in the bonus round. Laura Trammell entered the bonus round of a cash prize of $23,690 and also a trip to St. Thomas for a tropical island getaway.