‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Announces He’s ‘Looking at Other Projects’ After Retirement

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Does Pat Sajak have another on-air role in the works in light of his retirement from Wheel of Fortune? The game show legend joked about as much in an unexpected social media post on Saturday (November 9), sharing what he had in mind for his big comeback.

Sajak, who hosted WoF for 43 years, officially retired in the spring, making way for Ryan Seacrest, who now hosts the program alongside Vanna White. His ratings-smash farewell episode aired on June 7, 2024. With the newfound free time sinking in, Sajak rattled off a hilarious list of “other projects” he was considering now that he’s “stopped doing the show.”

“Since I’ve stopped doing the show, I’ve been looking at other projects,” the since-deleted X post read. “Top prospects are a detective drama, ‘Barnaby Jones Jr.,’ and a cooking competition, ‘The Grated Cheese Challenge.’ Was thinking about a celebrity podcast until I found out there were already a few of those.”

Sajak’s post seemed just a joke, as the TV shows he listed are fictional (and outlandish). However, it’s fun to imagine him hosting a cooking show, helming a detective series or venturing into the admittedly crowded podcast space if he wished.

Meanwhile, Sajak may be done hosting syndicated Wheel, but he is not retiring from show business altogether. In June, Variety reported that Sajak inked a deal to return to Hawaii Theater in Honolulu, Hawaii, next summer to star in a play with his longtime collaborator there, Joe Moore. The duo will co-star in a new version of the 1962 stage play Prescription: Murder, which will run from July 31, 2025 to August 10, 2025.

Sajak will star in the play as Roy Flemming, a psychiatrist who creates an alibi to murder his wife; Moore will portray Lt. Columbo, the detective who plays a game of cat-and-mouse with Flemming. (The plot for Prescription: Murder previously hit the small screen in Columbo‘s pilot.)

Plus, WoF fans missing Sajak are also getting a dose of Holiday cheer in the near future. A special episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune titled “Special Holiday Episode” airs on Monday, December 2 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC in primetime.

The contestants for the Holiday special are Chance the Rapper (who is playing for SocialWorks), legendary singer Dionne Warwick (playing for North Jersey Community Research Initiative), and Lil Jon (playing for Open Paths Counseling Center). Sajak and the iconic White will serve as co-hosts.

The episode will be a one-off, with the rest of Sajak’s last Celebrity Wheel of Fortune season airing in 2025. The spinoff’s upcoming season marks Sajak’s last-ever time hosting. Seacrest has, of course, replaced Sajak as the host of the syndicated game show for Season 42. He is returning for just the spin-off to fulfill his contract in one final spin. Celebrity guests will compete for $1 million (for a charity of their choosing).

What do you think of the concept of Pat Sajak hosting a cooking show, playing a TV detective or creating a podcast? Let us know in the comments section below!