Vanna White sends tearful farewell to Pat Sajak on 'Wheel of Fortune': 'I love you, Pat!'
Vanna White is bidding a tearful farewell to her "Wheel of Fortune" co-host Pat Sajak.
White, 67, taped an emotional message played in front of Sajak, 77, and the "Wheel of Fortune" audience, which airs Thursday (check local listings), one night before Sajak's final broadcast as host after a 41-year partnership.
"I can't believe tomorrow is our last show together," White said, managing a smile in the video. "I don't know how to put into words what these last 41 years have meant to me. But I'm going to try. Eight thousand episodes went by like that."
White praised Sajak for helping her overcome the stage fright she endured when starting the show, her first TV job.
"You made me feel so comfortable, so confident," said White, who has gone onto global "Wheel of Fortune" stardom. "You made me who I am. You really did."
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Pat Sajak farewellHis final 'Wheel of Fortune' episode after more than four decades
"What an incredible and unforgettable journey we have had," White said, holding back tears. "And I've enjoyed every minute of it with you."
She took a deep breath and continued.
"As this chapter comes to an end, I know you'll still be close by," said White. "You're like a brother to me, and I consider you a true lifelong friend who I will always adore. I love you, Pat."
'Oh my," Sajak said watching the video from the "Wheel of Fortune" set next to White. The two embraced on the stage.
White will continue as co-host and letter-turner on "Wheel of Fortune" in Season 42 with new host Ryan Seacrest. Sajak will give his own farewell speech in Friday's final episode.
Sajak was originally against hiring Vanna White: 'She was so nervous'
Sajak finds it hilarious that he was originally opposed to hiring White when original co-host Susan Stafford left in 1982, while the show still aired on NBC. "Wheel of Fortune" creator Merv Griffin conducted a talent search for the spot, which came down to three young women, including White. The model and Georgia beauty pageant runner-up was not Sajak's choice.
"She was really sweet and seemed like a really nice person. But she was so nervous," Sajak said in his only farewell interview with his daughter, Maggie Sajak. "Her lips were trembling and she was perspiring. I thought (Griffin) was never going to hire her. Merv is smarter than I am. He saw something in her and knew the nerves would go away."
Griffin turned out to be correct. White became such a star on "Wheel of Fortune" that fans named their daughters Vanna at the peak of the game show's worldwide popularity. "I shudder to think how life could have been different," Sajak said. "She is just a sweetheart and has made my life fabulous."
Are Pat Sajak and Vanna White really friends?
The stars of "Wheel of Fortune" have a close relationship off the set that has endured for decades. Maggie Sajak talked about the family friendship she and her brother Patrick had with White's family.
"We grew up hanging out with Vanna's kids Nikko and Gigi," Maggie Sajak recalled. "Me and Patrick were always at their house or they were at ours."
"As much fun as we had on camera, those life events we shared with our families outside of the studio are my favorite," White said in her video. "We've watched our children grow up together. We've traveled around the world together. We have laughed. We've cried. We've celebrated."
