Pat Sajak Thought Vanna White Had No Chance After Wheel of ...

Longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak has revealed that he didn't think Vanna White would ever be hired as his co-host.

During a chat with his daughter Maggie Sajak for the game show's YouTube channel, the 77-year-old reminisced on his career and shared some behind-the-scenes information about the hit program.

Pat Sajak explained that the original version of Wheel of Fortune was a network daytime series originally hosted by Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford. When Woolery left in 1981, he was replaced by Sajak and after Stafford left in 1982, she was eventually replaced by White, with the co-hosts having hosted the nighttime version since its inception in 1983.

However, Sajak didn't think White was in with a chance of being given the role because she was "so nervous" during her audition.

Newsweek emailed Sony Pictures Television, which owns Wheel of Fortune, for comment on Wednesday.

"And I remember after her audition, 'She's really sweet and seems like a very nice person,' but she was so nervous. I mean her lips were trembling and she was perspiring. I thought, 'He's never going to hire her,'" he said, referring to the show's creator, Merv Griffin.

"Merv is smarter than I am and he saw something in her and knew that the nerves would go away. And they did and she's been a joy. And, you know, I shudder to think how life could have been different.

"I mean, she's been great. She's just a sweetheart and has made my life fabulous."

Maggie Sajak stated that White and Pat Sajak's chemistry "comes through the screen," asking her father if that was always the case or if it grew with time.

"Well, a little bit of both," Pat Sajak said. "I mean, I think we were pretty comfortable in the beginning. You know, it's funny, we do 15, 20 seconds at the end of the show, but multiply that by 40 years and people can sense the genuine affection and get all the jokes and understand the back story."

He added: "It adds up to a lot of minutes of television."

People took to the comments of the video to share their love for Pat Sajak and to express their upset over the fact that he's retiring from the game show. His final episode will air on June 7, which he has already filmed.

"Thank you, Pat Sajak, for 41 amazing years on Wheel of Fortune. We will miss you," one person wrote.

"Sixty years old, and I'm sitting here with a bit a tear in my eye. It truly did become something the whole family watch and joined us together for a few days a week," said another.

A third commenter added: "Pat, it's hard to believe we won't see you walking out with Vanna every night! I know for sure that I'll miss you!!"

In June 2023, Sajak announced in a post on X ( formerly Twitter) that he would be retiring at the end of Season 41, which started in September.

"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. (If nothing else, it'll keep the clickbait sites busy!)," Pat Sajak wrote at the time.

Just days after Pat Sajak made his announcement and after much speculation about his replacement, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest was named as Wheel of Fortune's next host. He will take over for Season 42 this fall—and he has big shoes to fill.

Seacrest revealed his new role in an Instagram post in which he praised longtime host Sajak and shared his excitement about joining "the great" Vanna White on the show.

After news broke of Sajak's retirement, White admitted she thought about doing the same. However, she has now revealed she's not ready to say goodbye.

During an interview with TV Insider, she was asked how much longer she would be a part of the much-loved game show.

"I don't know. When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too, but I'm not ready!" she said.

"We'll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job."