Pat Sajak: I've hosted "Wheel of Fortune" drunk

By: Jessica Derschowitz
Topics: Television

Pat Sajak arrives at the 38th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards on June 19, 2011, in Las Vegas.

(Credit: Getty)

(CBS) Pat Sajak has admitted to HWI - hosting while intoxicated.

In an interview with ESPN2's Dan Le Batard, the longtime "Wheel of Fortune" host came clean when asked if he had ever hosted the show drunk.

"Yes," Sajak laughed. "When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things. We had a different show then."

He explained that in the show's earlier format, there was "endless time" between tapings. During the two-and-half-hour dinner breaks, he and Vanna White would stop by a Mexican spot in Burbank, Calif., for margaritas.

"Vanna and I would go across and have two or three and six and then come and do and the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," he told Le Batard.

Sajak said he no longer drinks on the job, but added that those old episodes would be "really good tapes to get hold of."

"I had a great time," he said." I have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did okay."

Watch the full interview below:

19 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 19 Comments


by RiverCityGirl January 28, 2012 7:40 PM EST: If I had to do that job for as long as him, I'd have to have something to get me through it too.; Reply to this comment


by chazss January 28, 2012 12:23 AM EST: Still doesn't top Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LSD...top that PAT; Reply to this comment


by AOCGUY January 27, 2012 9:24 AM EST: I can understand Pat'sotivation. I would have to be drunk to watch that show.; Reply to this comment


by bobnjersey January 27, 2012 3:04 AM EST: [During the two-and-half-hour dinner breaks, he and Vanna White would stop by a Mexican spot in Burbank, Calif., for margaritas. "Vanna and I would go across and have two or three and six and then come and do and the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," he told Le Batard.]
-----------------------------------
as long as he wasn't the one spinning the wheel it shouldn't be a problem.; Reply to this comment


by Jhihmoac January 26, 2012 7:25 PM EST: Vanna does most of the work, anyway...; Reply to this comment


by randomites January 26, 2012 6:54 PM EST: I'm kind of surprised to hear that he ever hosted the show sober.; Reply to this comment

by buckyjo January 26, 2012 6:35 PM EST

I know this has nothing to do with this story but Rush Limbaugh really is a big, fat idiot.

Thank you Senator Al for that wise observation.

Copy and paste this comment on ten emails and good luck will come your way (Miss Cleo told me so).

Reply to this comment


by josephp5 January 26, 2012 6:48 PM EST: Good comment, but I wonder what caused you to go off topic and post this comment. Did you just hear something just now?


by randomites January 26, 2012 7:38 PM EST: I know this has nothing to do with this story but Pat Sajak really is a big, fat idiot.


by josephp5 January 26, 2012 6:04 PM EST: I have always thought that Pat Sajak was a bit of a clueless blowhard after hearing his brief foray into political thought.

But I very much admire his honesty and directness at admitting to doing his show drunk on occasion. I also admire that he did not say the standard "It was a mistake" kind of guff. In fact he said exactly the opposite: "I had a great time...I guess I did OK." Now that's what I call straight talk!; Reply to this comment