Pat Sajak’s final turn as host of Wheel of Fortune will be the following season.

The end of an era is near. The 40-year presenter Pat Sajak announced his intention to hang up the mic and depart from the iconic game show.

Sajak’s retirement has been a long time coming; he first hinted that he would be leaving the show in 2021. He told Entertainment Tonight that “we’re closer to the end than the beginning.” I would rather go before fans tune in and wonder, “Ooh, what happened to him?”

The following year, the Daytime Emmy winner again hinted about leaving, telling the same outlet that he is happy with how well he has fulfilled his commitments and is ready to hand the reigns over to someone else.