Pat Sajak and Vanna White have been standing alongside each other for over 40 years on Wheel Of Fortune, occasionally spelling out some words and lightly roasting each other. But all good things must come to an end, and sometimes you need to buy your last vowel.
Last year, Sajak announced that he would be stepping down at the end of season 41 of the long-running game show. He will be replaced by Ryan Seacrest for the next season. In 2018, Sajak became the longest-running host of any game show, surpassing Bob Barker, so Seacrest has some large shoes to fill.
Ahead of his final episode, White shared a heartfelt farewell message to her co-host. “I can’t believe that tomorrow is our last show together. I don’t know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to me, but I’m going to try. Eight-thousand episodes went by like that,” White said in the video. “When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable, and made me so confident, Pat. You made me who I am. You really did.”
Grab your tissues, because White got even more emotional. She continued:
As the years have gone by, we’ve grown up on television. But we’ve also shared so much more behind the scenes. As much fun as we had on camera, those memories, milestones and life events we shared with our families outside the studio are my favorite. We’ve watched our children grow up together, we’ve traveled all over the world, we’ve eaten hundreds of meals together, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve celebrated…. Gosh, what an incredible and unforgettable journey we’ve had, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it with you. As this chapter of our lives is coming to an end, I know you’ll still be close by. You’re like a brother to me, and I consider you a true, life-long friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat.
White will remain on the game show, though she isn’t sure how long she’s going to stick around, perhaps especially now that she knows Ryan Seacrest can’t spell.
Check out the video above.
