Wheel of Fortune fans were met with some sad news at the end of Monday’s episode. Long-time host Pat Sajak revealed that his family had recently lost their beloved dog for many years. While telling the American audience about his loss, Sajak was near tears and was unable to hold his emotions in check while standing next to co-host Vanna White. After Sajak’s announcement, fans of the show flooded social media with condolences and support for the game show host.
During Monday’s show, Sajak announced: “We recently had to say goodbye to Stella (the dog). It was a very sad time for the Sajak family.”
The show then projected a few images of Stella on the screen. The pictures showed the dog enjoying her life and having fun during happy times with the Sajak family. One of the images showed Sajak and Stella having fun together in the snow. There was also another picture of the dog, showing off her dramatic stature as a strong dalmatian. There was also a photo of Stella seated on Sajak. All of the images drew a response from the audience, and people expressed their delight at the cute photos of the dog.
During the segment at the end of the show, Sajak also pointed out that co-host Vanna White also has a pet named Stella – although her pet is a cat and not a dog.
“You and I have a lot of things in common,” Sajak told White. “We both have two kids, we both have the same unusual blood type, but the weirdest of all, we independently, without anyone knowing it, we both named our pets the same name.”
While the studio audience was heartbroken by Sajak’s announcement, viewers at home were also moved to message Sajak. People turned to social media in droves to share their condolences and to let Sajak know that he and his family were in their thoughts.
“So sad to hear about the passing of Pat’s dog Stella. My condolences are with you, Pat!” wrote one fan.
“I don’t usually cry during Wheel of Fortune, but here we are.”
Another person shared a bizarre coincidence on Twitter. She had recently lost her dog, just like Sajak had, and was surprised that it occurred in such close timing with the loss of Sajak’s beloved pet.
“Um woah, my dog just passed away Friday & tonight Pat’s talking about his recently deceased dog too? (Recently, as of whatever, this episode was taped.) Freaky!”
Sajak’s announcement about Stella’s death came a few days after he made another family announcement on the game show. However, the first announcement was a bit of good news that brightened everyone’s day. Apparently, Sajak’s son, also named Patrick Sajak, recently graduated from medical school. Clearly, the Wheel of Fortune host has gone through some ups and downs over the last few weeks. At least his family can focus on Sajak’s son’s success in medical school while trying to get over the loss of their beloved Stella.
“We’re gonna miss her. She was a good friend,” Sajak said before the show rolled the credits.