How Old Is Pat Sajak, Is He Married and Does He Have Kids?

Quick Facts

Pat Sajak’s age is one thing his fans are always interested thing and this has been attributed to the fact that he has been in the business of hosting shows long before many of his fans were born. The legendary television game host Pat Sajak who anchors the popular TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” has received many honors for the many years he has put into his career and excelled at the many hats he wears.

For over four decades and counting, the tireless host has kept fans amused and audiences riveted doing what he knows how to do best; hosting. But just how old is he now and how old was he when the world recognized his talent? Find out.

How Old Is Pat Sajak?

Sajak was born as Patrick Leonard Sajdak on the 26th of October, 1946 to parents Leonard Anthony Sajdak and Joyce Helen. Pat’s father was a factory worker before his death. His mother Joyce Helen, on the other hand, got remarried to Walter Backal after the death of her husband. It is not known if Pat has any siblings, especially from his mother’s second marriage. Growing up, a young Pat attended Farragut High School from where he graduated in 1964. He was very active in high school which made him well known and had him participating in various contests as a teen.

He won one in particular that became his stepping stone to bigger passions; the contest on WLS radio’s Dick Biondi saw him become a guest teen DJ. Following that, he got engaged in various other jobs from which he made a good sum. Pat worked as a desk clerk at Palmer House hotel and at the same time, he took classes at Colombia College Chicago.

What was Pat Sajak’s Age when He Became Famous?

Not many persons know that Pat Sajak served his country in the Vietnam War. In 1968 and at the young age of 22, Sajak joined the army but not in the capacity of a soldier; he served as a Disc Jockey for the American Forces Vietnam Network on Armed Forces Radio which was his way of lifting the spirits of his fellow servicemen during those very trying times.

Years later when the war was over, he would make a move to Nashville where he worked as a DJ for the 50,000-watt WSM; he was the afternoon on-air radio personality. He was soon taken over to WSMV, a TV station where he first anchored the five-minutes NBC’s Today Show newscast and then took the role of a substitute weatherman on weekends.

In the early 1980s, he hosted two shows, Press your Luck and Puzzlers, both of which he hosted beautifully well. In 1983, he signed up as the host of the Wheel of Fortune game show taking over from Chuck Woolery, he is signed to be its host until 2022. In 1997, he became a full-time weatherman after he took up a job offer from the KNBC-TV station.

Maybe he was relatively unknown in his younger years when he started, but Pat Sajak’s age as at the time he began to garner real fame was at 40 in 1986 with his work on the Wheel of fortune. Besides that, he had also hosted a program on Fox News Channel in 2003 titled Pat Sajak Weekend and later The Pat Sajak Baseball Hour.

He had ventured into movies at the age of 36 in 1982 and featured in a couple of movies including the 1982 comedy film, Airplane II: The Sequel, Days of Our Lives (1983), Rugrats (1993) and an episode of the sitcom King of Queens. He has also been guest to several TV game shows such as Password Plus, CNN’s Live, Dream House, Super Password, and Just Men!

Pat has won several awards in his career including two Daytime Emmy Awards (1993 & 1997) and a Peoples Choice Awards for favorite game show host (1987). He has also received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1994) and has been honored in 2019 by the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest-running host for a game show.

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Is He Married and Does He Have Kids?

Yes, Pat Sajak is married and yes, he has kids too. In 1979, Pat got married to his first wife Sherrill James in the presence of a small crowd made up of mostly family members. Seven years later, their marriage which a lot of his fans thought was perfect, hit the rocks and ended in a divorce.

In 1989, he once again went down the aisle with Lesley Brown, a photographer. They have both stayed married without any huge controversy for thirty years and it is believed that they will remain so for a long time.

Pat’s marriage to Lesley produced two children; a son, Patrick Michael James Sajak born on the 22nd of September, 1990 and a daughter, Maggie Marie Sajak born on the 5th of January, 1995. Maggie is a country singer and plays several musical instruments. She has also released a number of singles. The couple lives in Severna Park, Maryland. They also have a second home in California.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.