When Pat Sajak retired from "Wheel of Fortune" after 41 seasons, the longtime host gained more time to spend with his family.
Sajak and his wife Lesly Brown Sajak share two children, Maggie Sajak and Patrick Sajak.
Just before his last episode as host of "Wheel of Fortune" on June 7, 2024, Pat Sajak said in an interview with his daughter that he wanted to retire from the show in time to do other things in life.
"My goal was not to do this job and to keel over on it," Sajak said in a behind-the-scenes interview with Maggie Sajak. "I've always said, you've heard me say this dozens of times, 'I'd rather leave a couple years too early than a couple years too late."
Pat Sajak added that it has been "a great 40 years" but he and his wife are also looking forward doing "other things in life."
"I'm looking forward to whatever's ahead," he said, adding that he would be "perfectly happy" continuing with his crossword puzzles.
Several months after his retirement, Pat Sajak was spotted taking in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium.
Starting in July, the longtime TV host will take on a new role in retirement, starring in a production of "Prescription: Murder" at the Hawaii Theatre Center.
Pat Sajak started hosting "Wheel of Fortune" in 1981 following a career in broadcasting and news. One year later, in 1982, Vanna White joined the show and together they worked on more than 8,000 episodes of "Wheel of Fortune."
White recently shared that she and Pat Sajak have maintained their friendship after his retirement from the show.
"I still see him! We're friends. We have dinner!," In an interview with TV Insider published April 24. "Yeah, he's still in my life."
Get to know Pat Sajak and his family below.
Lesly Brown
Pat Sajak tied the knot with wife Lesly Brown in 1989. The couple have been married for most of Sajak's tenure on "Wheel of Fortune."
In 2019, Brown joined the "Wheel of Fortune" cast, crew and staff to celebrate the game show's 7,000th episode.
"Speaking of contracts, I signed one a long time ago with this beautiful woman -- my wife, Lesly," Pat Sajak said at the time, introducing Brown. "We're about to celebrate anniversary number...."
"Thirty," Brown replied, adding there were "a lot" of "Wheel" episodes filmed during that period.
Brown also made a cameo on "Wheel of Fortune" in April 1997 as the puzzleboard turner when Pat Sajak and fellow game show host Alex Trebek switched places for an April Fool's Day stunt, with Pat Sajak hosting "Jeopardy!" and Trebek hosting "Wheel of Fortune." In the latter episode, Pat Sajak played against "Wheel" co-host Vanna White.
Patrick Michael James Sajak
Pat Sajak and Brown welcomed their first child, a son named Patrick, in 1990.
Patrick Sajak and his younger sister Maggie Sajak both re-enacted a "Wheel of Fortune" closer as kids in 2000, with the latter pretending to be co-host Vanna White and Patrick Sajak assuming his dad's hosting role. "Wheel of Fortune" shared a look back at the cute close in 2020.
"So, Patrick, did Daddy give you any advice [on] how to do a close tonight?" a young Maggie Sajak asks her brother in the sweet throwback clip.
"Well, he did say one thing -- don't be funnier than he is," Patrick Sajak quips in response. "How about you, Maggie? Did Vanna give you any advice?"
"Don't be funnier than Daddy is," Maggie Sajak replies.
Turning to the audience, she adds, "Well, he did tell me to say this: Bye bye!"
Patrick Sajak is a doctor. In 2021, his father announced in an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" that his son had officially graduated medical school.
"So you know my son, Patrick. You've known him all his life," Pat Sajak said at the time, speaking with White. "Well, he's made it through medical school, and he is now officially Dr. Sajak, and we're all thrilled."
Maggie Sajak expressed excitement for her brother at the time, writing in the caption of an Instagram post, "My big brother officially became a doctor today, and I am the MOST proud. Congrats @patricksajak, MD!!!"
Maggie Sajak
Five years after Pat Sajak and Brown welcomed their first child, they welcomed their second child -- a daughter they named Maggie.
Maggie Sajak graduated from Princeton University and is finishing law school at Columbia University. She made her debut on "Wheel of Fortune" as a 1-year-old, tagging along with her father onto the "Wheel of Fortune" set in Hawaii.
She filled in for Vanna White as the puzzleboard turner in November 2019 when White filled in for Pat Sajak, who had taken some time away to recover from emergency surgery.
Maggie Sajak officially joined the show as its social correspondent in 2021, providing behind-the-scenes content for viewers, including guest interviews and sneak peeks.
