While Pat Sajak is the longest-running host of America’s beloved game show Wheel of Fortune, Chuck Woolery will be remembered as the first anchor of the program. Chuck held the reins from 1975 to 1981, after which Sajak took over until 2024.
Chuck went on to host Love Connection for over a decade while working on Scrabble in between. The TV personality died at 83 on Saturday, but the cause of his death remains has not been disclosed. Sources say he was struggling to breathe in the hours leading up to passing.
Why was Chuck Woolery replaced by Pat Sajak?
Despite Wheel of Fortune’s growing popularity while he played host, Chuck only made $65,000 a year, which was little compared to what his colleagues earned. He asked that his salary be raised to half a million dollars, and creator Merv Griffin responded with an offer of $100,000 less, with NBC covering the difference.
Merv then threatened to take Wheel of Fortune to CBS, forcing NBC to withdraw their offer and let Chuck go. He was then replaced by Pat Sajak, who reportedly made about $15 million per season playing host. Pat hosted for four decades until his retirement in June, after which Ryan Seacrest took over.
Chuck Woolery regretted leaving ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Despite earning a million dollars on Love Connection and Scrabble combined, Chuck regretted leaving Wheel of Fortune. He told The New York Times in 2003 that he would have been making $10 million a year at the time had he stayed.
Chuck died with a net worth of about $10 million, which is a lot less than his successor’s $65 million. His finances were plagued by his multiple divorces, which reportedly took 40 percent of his wealth in the process. He is survived by his fourth wife, Kristen, and his children, Michael, Sean, and Melissa.