A decades-old television prank involving Maryland resident Pat Sajak is going viral again online, nearly 18 years after it first aired. During an April 1, 2008 episode of Wheel of Fortune, Sajak addressed long-running viewer speculation that he wore a hairpiece. At the start of the show, he told the audience he had a secret to reveal and asked longtime co-host Vanna White to help him “unveil” it (video below).
When White tugged on Sajak’s hair, a toupee appeared to come off in her hands, revealing what looked like a completely bald head. The moment stunned the audience and quickly became one of the most talked-about pranks in the show’s history.
The gag, however, was all part of an April Fools’ Day joke. At the end of the episode, Sajak wished viewers a “Happy April 1st,” confirming that the bald reveal had been staged and that he still had his real hair. Despite the clarification, the prank was convincing enough that some fans continued to speculate for years that Sajak was actually bald and had used the joke to hide it in plain sight.
Sajak, who lives in Severna Park, MD with his wife Lesly Brown-Sajak, spent more than four decades as the host of Wheel of Fortune. Over that time, he received 19 Daytime Emmy nominations and won three awards for Outstanding Game Show Host. Beyond television, Sajak is also known locally as a devoted Washington Capitals fan and longtime season-ticket holder. He even appeared on the ice during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup Finals celebration.
After hosting the regular version of Wheel of Fortune for more than 40 years, Sajak officially retired from the role in June 2024, though he has returned briefly to host a few special episodes since stepping down.
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