Pat Sajak’s Final ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ Season Gets Sudden, Unexpected Delay to 2025

Darian Lusk October 11, 2024, 12:30 pm

Wheel of Fortune fans who were getting ready for Pat Sajak’s final spin with the franchise suddenly have some more waiting to do.

The new season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Sajak’s last-ever time hosting, was expected to premiere on Monday, October 14. But on Friday (October 11), just days before his sendoff season would begin, ABC announced it’s being pushed back to 2025.

“’Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,’ ‘Press Your Luck’ and ABC News’ ‘Scamanda’ will premiere in 2025,” the network shared in a new press release.

In their statement, ABC shared that the reason that not just the season premiere, but the entire season, is being delayed was to prioritize Monday Night Football.

The network is adding “six Monday Night Football simulcasts to its previously announced schedule,” they shared, further breaking down the decision:

“ABC is a destination for marquee NFL programming including, as part of our new deal, Super Bowl 61 (February 2027), the first of two,” the statement read. “The decision to add more simulcast games was made in conjunction with the NFL and is just for the 2024-25 season. This schedule leans into the cross-promotional opportunities maximizing the reach of NFL programming across the Disney ecosystem. ESPN has already aired four exclusive games during 2024 season and will have three additional exclusive games, with two in November and one in December. There are 25 Games on ESPN’s 2024 NFL Schedule.”

The company added: “Furthermore, this move will give the ABC game shows ‘Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Press Your Luck’ a more consistent, weekly run in midseason when there are less preemptions (i.e. football, 2024 election).”

The new premiere date for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune has not yet been announced, but Sajak has already taped much if not all of his sendoff season, which will now be on the backburner for three months.

When it premieres in the new year, it will likely air weekly on Monday nights on ABC and likely not have any preemptions or schedule changes, if it’s any consolation prize for Wheel watchers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (@celebritywheeloffortune)

The news comes as WoF has been ramping up for what was expected to be a Monday, October 14 premiere for weeks. The social media rollout was well underway, with Celebrity Wheel of Fortune’s full trailer getting shared on WoF’s Instagram last week.

The trailer sees Sajak declare: “Get ready for an all-new season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” while standing side-by-side with his longtime counterpart Vanna White.

The iconic puzzle-presenter dazzles in a silvery gown with a bold, sheer V-neck design, and they look thrilled to be reunited.

The special was taped at the revamped WoF set, and they can be seen walking out of the new sliding-door entrance. “Big names, big laughs, and big wins for charity,” White promises.

The guests include Rainn Wilson, Ellie Kemper, and Oscar Nuñez of The Office, Josh Gad, Justin Long, and Rachael Harris of New Girl, as well as Sam Richardson, Randall Park, and Matt Walsh of Veep. There’s also Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall of Girls Trip, plus Joe Manganiello, Katharine McPhee, Andrew Rannells, Pete Holmes, and Cameron Brink. The rest are to be announced.

'Celebrity Wheel of Fortune': Pat Sajak's Final Season Contestants Revealed

“The stars are coming out for Pat’s final spin!” WoF’s Instagram post was captioned. “See you October 14 for the season premiere of #CelebrityWheelOfFortune.” The game show has not yet shared the news of the delay on social media. The premiere date was initially announced five weeks ago on September 4.

Of course, Sajak has already been replaced by Ryan Seacrest as the host of the syndicated game show for Season 42. Pat returned for just the spin-off to fulfill his contract. Celebrity guests will compete for $1 million (for a charity of their choosing).