Yahoo Lifestyle Why Was Chuck Woolery Replaced by Pat Sajak on 'Wheel of Fortune'?
Chuck Woolery, who died on Nov. 23 at age 83, is possibly best known as the original host of the popular TV gameshow Wheel of Fortune. However, the hosting gig was eventually given to Pat Sajak after Woolery's departure in 1981.
But why did Woolery leave one of the most popular and long-running gameshows of all time? Due to a contract dispute, Woolery was replaced by Sajak, who hosted WoF until recently taking his final spin and handing over hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest.
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After Wheel of Fortune premiered in 1975, it took television by storm. By 1981, Woolery was getting paid $65,000 a year, but his salary didn't quite compare to what his competitors were making.
Related: Chuck Woolery, 'Love Connection' and Original 'Wheel of Fortune' Host, Dead at 83
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Woolery recalled in 2007 that he requested a raise to about $500,000 at the time. Creator Merv Griffin, who hired Woolery as the WoF host after seeing him perform a cover of "Delta Dawn" on The Merv Griffin Show, reportedly offered him $400,000, and NBC said it would make up the difference.
However, Griffin was reportedly angered by the ordeal and threatened to pull Wheel of Fortune from the network and take it to CBS.
The contract dispute ended with NBC withdrawing its offer to Woolery, and he was ultimately let go from the gameshow and replaced by Sajak. Original letter-turner Susan Stafford was also replaced by Vanna White.
Related: Vanna White Tells the Surprising Story of How She Landed Her 'Wheel of Fortune' Role
In a 2003 interview with The New York Times, Woolery said that he regretted how things went down. "If I wouldn't have left Wheel of Fortune, I'd be making about $10 million a year now," he said.
Sajak hosted Wheel of Fortune from 1981 to 2024. Following his departure, Seacrest took his first spin during the season 42 premiere episode on Sept. 9.
Related: Find Out Legendary Gameshow Host Chuck Woolery's Net Worth at the Time of His Death
During Seacrest's debut week as host, Wheel of Fortune saw its largest premiere week audience in five years, per Nielsen. The premiere week averaged 8.31 million viewers, and the gameshow cemented itself as the No. 1 show in syndication.
The news of Woolery's death was confirmed by Mark Young, a close friend who hosted the podcast Blunt Force Truth with him. He said that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, by his side, adding, "Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him."
