Pat Sajak’s final Wheel of Fortune episode aired on June 7, 2024, and ended with his goodbye to viewers. The farewell message came after 41 years as host and more than 8,000 episodes, according to the Associated Press. The emotional tribute from co-host Vanna White was a separate moment: it aired the night before.
What Pat Sajak said in his farewell
“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said in the closing remarks at the end of the June 7 finale, as reported by TVLine. He thanked viewers for welcoming him into their homes, along with White, the show’s staff and crew, contestants, and his family.
Sajak reflected on Wheel of Fortune as a “safe place for family fun.” He described it as a show where children learned letters, people from other countries practiced English, and families gathered. The AP reported that the episode’s final segment included the thought that hosting the show gave him “the incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes, night after night, year after year, decade after decade.”
The finale opened with a clip from Sajak’s first episode in 1981 and closed with his message. The broadcast shortened a round to make room for his farewell.
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How Vanna White’s tribute differed
White’s tribute aired on the June 6 episode, one day before Sajak’s final broadcast. It was a distinct segment built from clips and photographs of their years working together. White called Sajak a brother and lifelong friend, saying, “You’re like a brother to me, and I consider you a true, life-long friend who I will always adore,” according to TVLine. After the recorded tribute, they hugged onstage.
In short, White’s tribute was the pre-finale goodbye between co-hosts; Sajak’s own message to viewers came at the close of his final episode.
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How many people watched Sajak’s final episode?
CBS Media Ventures reported that 11.03 million viewers watched the June 7 farewell, making it the program’s largest audience in 1,072 episodes. That figure was reported by the broadcaster in a June 18, 2024 press release.
Why Sajak was leaving the show
Sajak announced in June 2023 that he would retire from hosting at the end of season 41. Ryan Seacrest succeeded him. At the time of the AP’s June 2024 report, White was set to continue as co-host through the 2025–2026 season; that was a contemporaneous contract report, not a statement about her status today.
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Where to watch the farewell
TVLine published a video excerpt of Sajak’s farewell, and ABC’s Good Morning America covered White’s tribute and shared a related clip. The current availability of the complete final episode on a streaming service is not established here, and access can vary by date and region.
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