After Pat Sajak announced that he was leaving Wheel of Fortune, it seems that Whoopi Goldberg has put herself in the running to take over.
The 76-year-old TV personality has been hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1981. In a message posted on social media, he said that after 41 seasons, he will leave the show.
He said on Twitter that he will leave the show after his next season ends in September. He also said, “It’s been a great ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months.” Thank you all very much. (At the very least, it will keep spam sites busy!)”
There seems to be a spot open for whoever will host the popular show, so on Tuesday’s (June 13) episode of The View, the 67-year-old EGOT winner put her name in the hat.
During a panel discussion on her daily round table show, Alyssa Farah Gryphon said, “Another legendary game show host, Pat Sajak, just announced that he’s leaving Wheel of Fortune at the end of next season.” Goldberg can be heard saying, “I want that job.”
Gryphon then asked Ken Jennings, the host of Jeopardy!, “What do you think about the news?” And who do you think should take his place?” After Jeopardy’s “own succession crisis,” he said he’s hopeful that “Wheel’s got an envelope that says what to do when” the host leaves.
Then, co-host Joy Behar said, “Whoopi wants that job,” and Sister Act star, who has worked on game shows before (she was a producer on the 1998 reboot of Hollywood Squares), said, “I want that job.” It sounds like a lot of fun to me.”
Behar joked that she and Sara Haines could step in for Vanna White and take turns walking back and forth and pointing to the letters.
Since Ronald Reagan was president, Sajak has always been the host of Wheel of Fortune and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. From 1981 to 1989, he was in charge of the daytime show, and in 1983, he took over the nighttime show.
Some funny things have happened on the show, like when people were shocked by how long it took players to guess the right answer or when a contestant missed out on a $1 million prize after making the “worst mistake in recent memory.”
Sajak is not leaving Wheel of Fortune just yet. He will stay as host until the start of season 41, which will be in early autumn. In a statement to Variety, “Suzanne Prete, EVP of Game Shows at Sony Pictures Television, said” that he will still work as an adviser on the show for the next three years.
“As the host of Wheel of Fortune for 40 great years, Pat has made a lot of people happy all over America. “We’re very thankful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years, and we’re looking forward to celebrating his great career throughout the coming season,” Prete said.
“We are so thankful and proud to have had Pat as our host for all these years, and we can’t wait to celebrate his great career during the upcoming season,” she said.