PAT Sajak has briefly relinquished his Wheel of Fortune hosting duties in an April Fool’s joke that flatlined with fans.

Jared Leto abruptly stepped in for him on Monday night, but the prank, or the fact that it was a prank, was never addressed.

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Jared Leto replaced Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune as an April Fool’s Day prankCredit: ABC

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The Joker actor took to Pat’s post at wheel and introduced the first puzzleCredit: ABC

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When the puzzle ended, Pat was back, and fans were left scratching their heads: ‘What happened, they didn’t even say April Fools!’Credit: ABC
On April 1’s episode, Wheel of Fortune had some fun at the expense of viewers in their 30-second intro.

Vanna White, 66, stunned in a long black dress while escorted out – not by Pat, but by Joker actor Jared Leto.

Jared walked alongside Vanna onto the center stage as if he were Pat, 77, and donned a wide-breasted suit for the occasion.

“Thank you and have a great show, see you soon,” a casual Jared told Vanna and joined the three bewildered players.

“Alright, everyone, grab those devices. It’s time to give away some money,” he said.

Jared then presented the first puzzle, which was under the “On the Map” category.

After it was solved, the game show cut to host Pat standing where Jared previously was as if the switcheroo had never happened.

‘GOOD ONE…’

Fans spun to social media, where some applauded the prank, but others were confused after Jared disappeared without a trace.

The fact that the host replacement was a prank was not addressed afterward or even during the credits (and also comes amid Pat actually retiring soon).

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“Anyone see the long-haired guy as host on the Wheel of Fortune for just a few seconds, then Pat was host??? Wtf was that? April Fools joke or what?” one X user wrote.

“Jared Leto wins #AprilFoolsDay. Epic #WheelOfFortune cameo,” wrote another.

“Jared Leto’s weird a** just appeared then disappeared on Wheel of Fortune,” joked a third.

“Ok but Jared Leto came out to host tonight’s show & then seconds later he turned back into Pat Sajak. My brain got a major cramp for a few minutes….” wrote a fourth.

“Odd that they didn’t talk about Jared Leto in the end!” wrote a fifth.

“Thank you for posting this. My wife thought I had a stroke. I was like ‘you see who’s hosting? It’s Jared Leto.’ Then it wasn’t,” replied a sixth.

“Was wondering what happened, they didn’t even say April Fools,” wrote another.

“Jared Leto’s April Fool’s Day cameo on the Wheel of Fortune was received only slightly better than his take on The Joker,” ripped a seventh.

“Jared Leto’s April Fools cameo on Wheel of Fortune just confused the hell out my grandma,” wrote an eighth.

This is not the first time the beloved game show has pulled an April Fools switcharoo; in 1997, Pat famously hosted an entire episode of Jeopardy! while the late Alex Trebek hosted Wheel.

PAT’S ACTUAL RETIREMENT

Rest assured, Pat is not retiring just yet, but in June 2024, when Ryan Seacrest will take over.

Pat has been a mainstay on Wheel of Fortune for over forty years, so fans were shocked and moved when he announced his upcoming retirement.

Sajak revealed the news in a personal note on X, formerly Twitter, on June 12, 2023.

“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he tweeted

“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months.”

“Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)” he added.

“When we started Wheel of Fortune’who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” Vanna tweeted in response.

“I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come,” she added. “Cheers to you!”

Wheel of Fortune’s 41st season premiered on September 11, 2023, and will reportedly run through early June 2024.

The show airs weekdays at 7:30 pm ET on ABC, and Pat’s last episode is believed to be airing on June 7, 2024.

It’s unclear whether his sendoff will be “supersized” or whether any additional surprises are set for Pat’s final night as host.

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Just a few weeks later, Ryan Seacrest announced on Instagram that he would be replacing Pat.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest wrote.

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The joke didn’t quite land because Pat nor the show didn’t make it clear it was a prank – and Pat is actually retiring in two monthsCredit: Wheel of Fortune

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In 1997, Alex Trebek and Pat switched places making for a more clear-cut April Fools memoryCredit: ABC