Pat Sajak Admits to Hosting 'Wheel of Fortune' While Intoxicated
Pat Sajak has admitted to being drunk while hosting "Wheel of Fortune."
In a new interview with Dan Le Batard, Sajak admitted to hosting the show while intoxicated. "When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things. We had a different show then."
He explained that co-star Vanna White would accompany him to Los Arcos, a Mexican restaurant for margaritas during the dinner break. "Vanna and I would…have two or three or six and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet. I had a great time. I have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did okay."
Sajak took over as host of "Wheel of Fortune" from Chuck Woolery in 1981 and has made the show into a household name. He got his start as a deejay when he was just a teenager, then began doing short newscasts for NBC's "Today Show" before becoming a weatherman. Four years later the offer to do "Wheel" came through.
He has also done guest spots on popular shows including "Larry King Live" and "Live with Regis and Kelly" and hosted his own talk show from Jan. 1989 to April 1990. Sajak is also an author, writing for the National Review Online since 2010.
He is currently married to Lesly Brown, and they have two children: son Patrick Michael and daughter Maggie Marie. They reside in both Maryland and California.
"Wheel of Fortune" premiered in 1975 and has gone through several revivals. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford initially hosted, and Jack Clark and Sajak were brought on board in 1981. Vanna White made her debut in 1982. It has aired over 5,000 episodes as of Feb. 2009.
"Wheel of Fortune" airs on NBC at 7:30 p.m. EST.
