- Pat Sajak has hosted Wheel of Fortune since 1981.
- He married his second wife, Lesly Brown, in 1986.
- Pat and Lesly are parents to two children: a son named Patrick and a daughter named Maggie.
- Pat is being replaced by Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune in 2024.
“When I started hosting Wheel of Fortune (with Susan Stafford) on this date 40 years ago, the top 10 TV shows included Dallas, Three’s Company, The Jeffersons, and The Dukes of Hazzard,” Pat Sajak tweeted in December 2021, marking his 40th anniversary as the long-running gameshow’s host, per Us Weekly. “Ronald Reagan was in his 1st year as president. Number 1 song: Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Physical.'” In the four decades since taking over the Wheel from Chuck Woolery, Pat has also experienced a significant change of his own: he became a father – twice!
Pat was first married to Sherrill Sajak from 1979 to 1986. After the two divorced, Pat spent a few years as a single man before exchanging vows with Lesly Brown in 1989. The couple soon started a family, welcoming their son, Patrick Sajak, in 1990. Five years later, Lesly gave birth to their second child, daughter Maggie Sajak. The kids have been a part of Pat’s Wheel lore, appearing on the show in 2000. Pat’s daughter has even worked alongside her father on the show that made him a household name.
And since that time, Pat has also announced he’d be stepping away from the show that made him famous. On June 12, 2023 he announced the change after 41 seasons. “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he said in a statement about the decision to leave Wheel of Fortune. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)” It’s since been announced that Ryan Seacrest is replacing Pat as the new host of the show.
Where are his kids now, and what paths have they taken? Here’s what to know about the game show legend’s kids.
Patrick Sajak
Dr. Patrick Sajak – you read that correctly – was born in 1990. He raised his son right, as he so proudly declared on a June 2021 episode of Wheel of Fortune. “So, you mind if I do a little parental bragging here?” Pat asked his longtime cohost, Vanna White. “So you know my son Patrick? You’ve known him all of his life. He’s made it through medical school, and he’s now officially Dr. Sajak, and we are very thrilled about that.”
“The only troubling part is he insists that I call him Dr. Sajak,” added Pat. “Listen, I couldn’t be prouder, and I tried to get him into geriatrics, but he refused, but that’s a personal thing. Anyway, congratulations, son.”
His sister also congratulated her brother on the accomplishment. “My big brother officially became a doctor today, and I am the MOST proud,” she posted on Instagram in May 2021. She linked to Patrick’s account, which has been set to private. Per WellSpan Health, Patrick serves as a resident at York Hospital, which he chose “because of the people and the broad educational experiences the program offers.” (h/t Nicki Swift).
Maggie Sajak
Whereas Dr. Sajak is private, Maggie Sajak has spent more time in the public eye. In 2021, Maggie joined Wheel of Fortune as the show’s social correspondence, helping Wheel establish itself in the digital world. “I’m excited about the opportunity to bring an insider’s look at the show with new behind-the-scenes features, interviews, videos, and insights. The Wheel of Fortune staff and crew have always been like an extended family, and I’m thrilled to be working with them,” she said at the time. Maggie has also worked on Good Morning America and on a 2012 episode of On The Streets. In 2023, she also made a high-profile appearance on HSN.
Maggie is also a country singer. She began to play music at age 12, learning the guitar and how to write songs. She dropped her debut single, “First Kiss,” in 2011 when she was just sixteen years old. In 2013, she dropped a music video for her song “Wild Boy.”
That year, she shared that she had intentions of pursuing medicine along with music. “Neither one — medicine or country music — is my fall-back plan,” she told CMT. At the time, she was attending Princeton University. “I just love them both, so I will keep doing both and see where that takes me. I probably won’t go straight to medical school. I want to be able to focus on my music for a while. I’ve always wanted to be a singer. But I also always dreamed of being a doctor, and Princeton was my dream school. So I thought I’d lay the groundwork for med school while I’m in college.”