\u201cIn most television shows by this time, you would have said, \u2018That\u2019s probably enough,\u2019 but this show will not die,\u201d Sajak, 75, told Entertainment Tonight.\n\n\n\n

Wheel of Fortune began in 1975, and Sajak came on board in 1981. In his four-decade tenure, Sajak and co-host Vanna White, 65, have become the faces of the series.\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead to his next steps in life, the emcee said, \u201cIt appears I may go before the show.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Pat Sajak Defends Wheel of Fortune Contestants After Viral \u2018Feather in Your Cap\u2019 Puzzle Fail\n\n\n\n

LOS ANGELES \u2013 NOVEMBER 1: THE PAT SAJAK SHOW. Pictured is Pat Sajak, host. Image dated November 1, 1988. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to have been in people\u2019s living rooms for that long. People were out there welcoming us. We\u2019re happy and proud,\u201d said Sajak, who also quips with celebs on the show\u2019s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune spin-off (his one wish list contestant? Meryl Streep).\n\n\n\n

\u201cYears go by fast,\u201d Sajak acknowledged. But, he said, \u201cWe\u2019re getting near the end. It\u2019s been a long [time]. We\u2019re not gonna do this for another 40 years. The end is near.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Pat Sajak Jokingly Leaves Wheel of Fortune Set After Third Contestant Wins $100,000 in Same Week\n\n\n\n

Vanna White and Pat Sajak
Sajak celebrated his 40-year hosting anniversary in December with a tribute from his daughter, Maggie. \u201cHappy 40th Wheel-iversary to this guy!\u201d she tweeted alongside a throwback of her father hosting the series. \u201cOn this day in 1981, @patsajak hosted his very first episode of @WheelofFortune\u2026 and the rest is history!\u201d\n\n\n\n

The steadfast host has stepped away from the series only once to undergo surgery for a blocked intestine, giving White the chance to host.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"