Pat Sajak’s tenure as the host of Wheel of Fortune has officially come to an end after 41 years. What is perhaps equally as impressive as his historical run on the game show is his decades-long marriage. So, who is Pat Sajak’s wife? Here’s everything to know about the game show host’s marriage and family life.
Who is Pat Sajak’s wife?
Pat Sajak has been married to his wife, Lesly Brown, for nearly as long as he’s hosted Wheel of Fortune. The couple met in 1988 through mutual friends, six years after he began hosting the show. Brown was 23 at the time and Sajak was 42.
Brown studied television production at the University of Maryland and graduated in 1986. She previously worked as a model, appearing in Playboy‘s “Women of Washington” issue and being named “Miss Georgetown.” Brown now works as a professional photographer in Severna Park, Maryland, where the family spends a majority of their time.
Despite their decades-long relationship, it wasn’t actually love at first sight for Sajak or Brown. After meeting at a California sports bar, the pair had a strictly platonic relationship. “There was no electricity in the air,” Sajak recalled of their first meeting during a 1990 interview with People. The two spent the next couple of months talking on the phone and developing a close friendship. By spring of 1989, they had begun to develop feelings for one another. “It was obvious that there was something more going on,” Sajak said, adding that neither one of them wanted to make the first move.
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After appearing on a reality series called The Dating Show, Brown went on a trip to Mexico with the bachelor who chose her, which made Sajak jealous. “Frankly, I was a little annoyed at that,” he joked, adding: “I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” Sajak proposed that summer and the couple wed a few months late on New Year’s Eve in Annapolis, Maryland.
They went on to welcome daughter Maggie and son Patrick, both of whom have appeared on Wheel of Fortune. Sajak and Brown are a notoriously private couple, but the former model is incredibly supportive of her husband and has accompanied him to a handful of events, including his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 1994 and the 35th anniversary party for Wheel of Fortune in 2017.
Ahead of his final show on June 7, 2024, Sajak told his daughter that he was “looking forward to whatever’s ahead” in a video shared with Good Morning America. He added that he is open to new projects, but is also happy spending the rest of his days with his family. “I’m perfectly happy if it just means that I’ll continue with my crossword puzzles and play with grandchildren. Hint hint hint. No pressure,” he told Maggie.
Retirement is not on the horizon for Sajak just yet, however. Just before his finale episode as host, Sajak announced that he will be starring in the stage production of Prescription: Murder alongside his longtime friend, KHON-TV Hawaii newscaster Joe Moore. The play will run from July 31st to Aug. 10, 2025, at Honolulu’s Hawaii Theatre.
Ryan Seacrest will be taking over as host of the syndicated game show starting with the 2024-25 season. He’ll be joined by Sajak’s longtime co-host Vanna White.
Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Want to know who these primetime stars are dating in real life? Check out the gallery below to find out!
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