Pat Sajak made a surprise cameo that delighted Wheel of Fortune viewers.
Following his retirement announcement in 2023, Pat’s loyal fanbase was saddened to hear of his departure.
The 78-year-old TV icon served as Wheel of Fortune’s host for 41 seasons, becoming a game show legend and household name.
Ryan Seacrest was named Pat’s replacement in 2023, and he officially took over the reins in September 2024.
Now that Ryan is fully immersed in the swing of things at Sony Pictures Studios, he’s been sharing his favorite things about hosting Wheel of Fortune.
Such was the case in a recent Instagram Reel shared by Ryan and Wheel of Fortune, which was captioned, “TLDR: Our crew is incredible and there’s a special guest in this video! 😉 #settour #setlife🎥 #wheeloffortune.”
The video praised the various crew members at Wheel of Fortune, including the audience coordinator, the camera operators, the production team, and the art department.
But, in a surprising twist, Pat Sajak appeared backstage while Ryan toured the set.
Ryan seemed indifferent, spotting Pat backstage, who was munching on a sandwich, looking surprised that Ryan stopped by.
While Ryan played it cool in front of Pat, Wheel watchers expressed their excitement seeing Pat on set at Sony Pictures Studios again.
Wheel of Fortune fans were thrilled by Pat’s cameo
“Pat Sajak FTW!!!” wrote one pleasantly surprised fan on the YouTube video.
Actor Darrel L. Pullie uploaded a GIF of Pat with the words “HE DID IT AGAIN!” across the bottom.
“Look it is Pat Sajak!!! Hiii!!!!” added another one of Pat’s fans.
Other Instagram users commented how much they loved seeing the “special guest” and the backstage workings and greeted Pat in their comments.
One Wheel watcher admitted they thought they were being pranked when they saw Pat.
“And I also thought that it was a stunt double Pat Sajak,” they wrote. “But I guess I wasn’t being pranked.”
Pat is still scheduled for gigs despite retiring in 2023
Pat’s appearance backstage may have shocked some Wheel of Fortune viewers, but he hasn’t entirely stepped away from the franchise.
As Monsters and Critics reported, Pat partially emerged from retirement when he returned to host Season 5 of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
Pat reemerged on NBC on October 7, 2024, marking the Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Season 5 premiere.
The Emmy-award-winning game show host also has other post-retirement plans that aren’t Wheel of Fortune-related.
As Monsters and Critics also reported, Pat is slated to appear in the play Prescription: Murder this summer at The Hawaii Theatre.
Pat will team up with his longtime buddy Joe Moore, a KHON-TV Hawai’i newscaster/actor, as he takes on the role of Dr. Roy Flemming.