‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Makes Hilarious Cameo Appearance on Show

Wheel of Fortune is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, and it wouldn’t be right to mark the occasion without acknowledging the man who hosted the show for over 40 years.

As part of Tuesday night’s (January 7) episode, host Ryan Seacrest took a break from the game to say, “We’re celebrating Wheel‘s 50th anniversary, and one of my favorite parts of this show has been getting to know the crew since I started.”

With that, the American Idol host gave viewers a behind-the-scenes tour, introducing fans to various staff members who make the magic happen. Seacrest said hello to the audience coordinator, the camera operators, the production team, and the art department.

Then, in a surprising moment, Seacrest walked across the set before stopping and saying, “This is our former host… hi, Pat.”

The camera panned to former host Pat Sajak standing off to the side, filling his face with a sandwich. Sajak gave a quick wave before Vanna White interrupted to ask Seacrest if he was “ready for a great show.”

Fans loved the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Sajak and took to social media to share their reactions.

“Good to see you again Pat!!” wrote one YouTube commenter.

“Pat Sajak’s cameo was a nice touch!” said another.

“I KNEW I wasn’t seeing things! Nice to see Pat’s cameo!” another added.

Wheel of Fortune YouTube

Another speculated, “I guess Pat is about to make his special appearance at the end of an episode during this week. I think it’s most likely the Friday episode.”

“Oh, my gosh Pat Sajak is back again!! Hahaha,” wrote one commenter.

“It’s so cool to see Pat,” another added.

“PAT SAJAK IS A LEGEND,” said another.

Another quipped, “Pat is still a messy eater.”

“When I saw Pat, I thought I was being pranked. And I also thought that it was a stunt double Pat Sajak. But I guess I wasn’t being pranked. I love Pat!” another wrote.

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Sajak, who began hosting Wheel in 1981, announced his retirement in 2023, revealing Season 41 would be his last. The three-time Daytime Emmy winner hosted his final episode on June 8, 2024, making way for Seacrest, who took over as host for the 42nd season.

While Sajak has said his goodbyes to the syndicated show, he remains as host for one more season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The new season of the Celeb spinoff was scheduled to premiere on October 14, 2024; however, just days before the premiere, ABC announced it was being pushed back to early 2025.

“Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck and ABC News’ Scamanda will premiere in 2025,” the network shared in a press release at the time, noting that the delay was to prioritize Monday Night Football.

Did you enjoy the Sajak cameo? Are you looking forward to Celebrity Wheel of Fortune? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.