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'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak undergoes emergency surgery

By Fred Topel
Game show host Pat Sajak's emergency surgery prompted "Wheel of Fortune" to cancel Thursday's taping of the show. Photo by Nina Prommer/EPA-EFE
1 of 2 | Game show host Pat Sajak's emergency surgery prompted "Wheel of Fortune" to cancel Thursday's taping of the show. Photo by Nina Prommer/EPA-EFE

Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Wheel of Fortune announced Friday on its social media channels that longtime letter turner Vanna White is filling in as host after Pat Sajak underwent emergency surgery.

Sajak had intestinal surgery on Thursday, prompting the game show to cancel the Thursday night taping. Sajak is recovering from the operation.

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Sajak has been the host of Wheel of Fortune since he took over for Chuck Woolery in 1981. He is 73. White joined the show in 1982 and the duo have been closely identified with the show for decades.

The show shared a picture of the game board displaying the message "Get Well Soon Pat!"

On Wheel of Fortune, contestants spin a wheel displaying various dollar amounts. Whatever number it rests on is the value of every correct letter they guess. If the contestant guesses a correct letter, White reveals every instance of that letter on the board until a contestant can guess the entire phrase.

In the game show world, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. He revealed in September that he needed to undergo a second round of chemotherapy.

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