Pat Sajak bid farewell to “Wheel of Fortune” on Friday night, but before he left, he had a parting gift for his final contestants on the show: $5,000 extra.
Before the first round of the night properly began, Sajak noted that, as everyone already knew, it was his final show. He added that he had some words he wanted to say before he left, meaning the game would cut one round of play to ensure there was enough time.
However, Sajak noted that “kind of robs you people,” so, to make up for it, he decided to spin the wheel himself and vowed to add an extra $1,000 to whatever he landed on for each contestant. He then proceeded to land on the $1,000 tile, meaning all three would get $2,000.
“You know what? It’s not my money,” Sajak teased. “Let’s give ’em all $5,000 right now. Little Jimmy’s surgery can wait!”
Naturally, the contestants were thrilled and from there, play continued as normal. Trips were given away, money was won — one contestant even landed on the $1 million tile, though she didn’t successfully guess a letter — and then it came time for Sajak to offer his final goodbye.
He first extended his thanks to the fans watching at home, expressing his gratitude being allowed into their lives for 41 seasons, before thanking his coworkers, his own family and, of course, Vanna White. To wrap things up, Sajak offered a bit of levity.
“By the way, you’ll still see plenty of me for the next few months. That’s right, summer reruns!” he joked. “The jokes will be the same, but I’d appreciate it if you’d laugh again anyway.”
“Wheel of Fortune” returns this Fall with Ryan Seacrest taking over as host alongside cohost Vanna White.
