Vanna White said a tearful farewell to her “Wheel of Fortune” co-star Pat Sajak.
White, 67, recorded a moving message to play for the “Wheel of Fortune” audience with Sajak, 77, on the eve of Sajak’s final broadcast as host after a 41-year partnership, which airs Thursday (check your local TV listings).
“I can’t believe tomorrow is our last show,” White says in the video, smiling, “It’s hard to put into words what the last 41 years have meant to me, but I’ll try. It’s been that way 8,000 times.”
White credited Sajak with helping her overcome the stage fright she endured when she began the show, her first TV job.
“You made me feel so at ease and so confident,” said White, a global star of “Wheel of Fortune.” “You made me who I am, seriously.”
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“It’s truly an honor.”Pat Sajak says goodbye to viewers in Wheel of Fortune finale
“We’ve had such an amazing, unforgettable journey,” White said, fighting back tears, “and I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with you.”
She took a deep breath and continued.
“As this chapter closes, I know you’re still close by,” White said. “You’re like a brother to me and I consider you a true friend for life. I will always adore you. I love you, Pat.”
“Oh my gosh,” Sajak said as he watched video from the “Wheel of Fortune” set next to White, and the two embraced onstage.
White will continue as co-host and letter-turner of “Wheel of Fortune” alongside new host Ryan Seacrest in Season 42. Sajak is scheduled to deliver his own farewell speech during Friday’s final episode.
Pat Sajak’s farewellWheel of Fortune’s final episode after more than 40 years
Sajak was initially against hiring Vanna White because “she was so nervous.”
Sajak finds it humorous that he initially opposed hiring White when original co-host Susan Stafford left the show when it was still on NBC in 1982. Wheel of Fortune creator Merv Griffin ran a talent search for the spot and narrowed it down to three young women, including White. White, a model and Georgia beauty pageant runner-up, was not Sajak’s choice.
“She was really sweet and seemed like a really nice person. But she was very nervous,” Sajak said in his only farewell interview.Her daughter, Maggie Sajak, was also there. “Her lip was trembling, she was sweating, and I knew Griffin was never going to hire her. Marv is smarter than I am. He saw something in her and knew the tension would break.”
Griffin was right: White became a megastar on Wheel of Fortune, and fans named her daughter Vanna during the game show’s worldwide popularity. “I shudder to think how different my life could have been,” Sajak says. “She was so sweet, and she made my life so wonderful.”
Are Pat Sajak and Vanna White really friends?
The stars of Wheel of Fortune have maintained close relationships off set for decades, and Maggie Sajak spoke about the family friendship she and her brother Patrick shared with White’s family.
“We grew up playing with Vanna’s kids, Nikko and Gigi,” Maggie Sajak recalled. “Patrick and I were always at their house and they were at our house.”
“As much fun as we’ve had in front of the camera, my favorites are the moments in life we’ve shared with our family outside of the studio,” White said in the video. “We’ve watched our children grow up together. We’ve traveled the world together. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve celebrated.”
