Summary
Pat Sajak hostedWheel of Fortunefor 43 years and, despite being on camera for so long, it’s still hard to guess just how tall he is.Wheel of Fortuneis one of thelongest-running game shows ever, having premiered in 1975 and continuously running every year since. The first host was Chuck Woolery. Sajak began hosting the nighttime version starting in 1983 and also did the daytime version from 1981 to 1989. While the daytime version was canceled,the nighttime show is ongoing and is set to be hosted by Ryan Seacrest for its 42nd season.
Sajak announced his retirement fromWheel of Fortunein June 2023, with season 41 being his last (viaTV Line). Save for a fewabsences from his duties onWheel of Fortune, Sajak has been one of the most enduring game show hosts ever. Not as witty as Bob Barker onThe Price is Rightand not as highbrow as Alex Trebek onJeopardy, Sajak was always a bit more of an everyman host. Because he was on TV for so long, everyone has a good idea of what Sajak looks like, though they may not know his real height.
Wheel Of Fortune: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts
The show has been immensely popular since it launched and remains as such, but there is a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes that you don’t know.
Pat Sajak Is 5'10" But Some Think He Looks Shorter On Wheel Of Fortune
A Production Oversight Led To Viewers Assuming Pat Sajak Was Shorter Than He Is
Pat Sajak is constantly moving around the set, standing in front of an oversized game board or spinning wheel, or he’s behind a podium. It can be hard to accurately guess how tall he is with so few contextual clues. In fact, in the early seasons of the show, the producers put shorter contestants on risers, so they could see over the podium and spin the wheel, but Sajak quickly realized that he looked very short in comparison. He toldWLKY,
“When the show first started, we would put shorter players on boxes, but problem is I would walk next to a great-grandmother on the show and I would walk next to her and people thought I was a jockey so now we are on risers and when they go up, I go up and we stay about the same size. But it got engrained in people that I was about 4 feet 3.”
Since then,people have always assumed that Sajak must be very shortif even diminutive contestants looked down on him. It turns out though that Sajak is much taller than 4' 3". According toUSA Todayand hisIMDbpage, Pat Sajak is a relatively tall 5' 10" — much taller than his perceived diminutive proportions on the show may suggest.
Vanna White is 5'6" (viaIMDb) but she looks the same height as Sajak because she wears three to five-inch heels on the show (viaInStyle).
1975-1981
1981-1989
1983-2024
Sajak’s Last Wheel Of Fortune Episode Was June 20, 2025
Vanna White Is Staying On As Co-Host For Season 42
In June 2023, Sajak announced his plan to retire from the show. In a statement toBloomberg News, Sajak said,
“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.”
His statement is short, sweet, and with little grandiosity, the same way he’s always communicated on the show. But this news did not come out of nowhere. In a September 2022 interview withET,Sajak was already considering that his time on the show was coming to an end,
“Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near… It’s an honor to have been in people’s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We’re happy and proud.”
Pat Sajak’s last episode onWheel of Fortuneended up being taped in April 2024 and aired on August 12, 2025. Sajak ended the episode with a heartfelt and gracious goodbye, thanking everyone from the viewers to the contestants to White:
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye. I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go. And I want to start with all of you watching out there… Thank you for allowing me into your lives… to my professional other half, dear Vanna. Like me, she takes the show very seriously, but not herself… Vanna is as sweet and unassuming as she seems. We’ve seen a lot of changes in each other’s lives over the years, but we’ve always been there for each other… I take solace in the fact that we live about five miles apart, so we’ll see plenty of each other. And by the way, you’ll still see plenty of me for the next few months. That’s right, summer reruns! So, the jokes will be the same, but I’d appreciate it if you laugh again anyway. That’s it. Thank you all so very much. And goodbye.”
The episode featured one less puzzle than normal to allow time for Sajakand each contestant was awarded $5000. Sajak also clued curious watchers into what would be happening with White,
“She’s a very special woman, and I know you’re all pleased to know that she’ll be back next season.”
Next season, it will be Vanna White back on the board and Ryan Seacrest hosting. Pat Sajak gave a huge part of his life to entertaining viewers and contestants, turningWheel of Fortuneinto one of the most recognizable shows on network TV, and it’s Pat Sajak’s confident hand on the wheel that helped make it so.
Wheel of Fortune
Cast
Wheel of Fortune is a long-running game show where contestants solve word puzzles to win cash and prizes. Players take turns spinning a large carnival-style wheel to determine prize values and attempt to guess letters in the puzzle.
