Chuck Woolery once regretted his exit from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ as he was replaced by Pat Sajak

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Chuck Woolery, who died on November 23 at the age of 83, is perhaps best known for being the original host of the well-liked TV gameshow 'Wheel of Fortune'.

However, Pat Sajak was ultimately given the hosting role following Woolery's departure in 1981 over a contract dispute. Woolery later acknowledged that he would have been earning a higher salary if he hadn’t left the game show, as reported by Parade.

Chuck Woolery was replaced by Pat Sajak on 'Wheel of Fortune' due to contract dispute

Chuck Woolery, known for his matinee idol charm and popular one-liners, is best remembered for beginning the long run of 'Wheel of Fortune' and later hosting several game shows.

Chuck's gig as game show host kickstarted after Merv Griffin asked him to host the new show 'Wheel of Fortune' with Susan Stafford after he performed a cover of 'Delta Dawn' on 'The Merv Griffin Show',

'Wheel of Fortune' was a huge hit on television on its debut in 1975. Although Chuck was earning $65,000 annually by 1981, his pay was still insufficient to match that of his competitors.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chuck recalled in 2007 that he had demanded a raise to roughly $500,000 at the time.

Griffin, the show's creator, reportedly offered Chuck $400,000 and NBC said it would cover the difference.

Griffin, however, was apparently incensed by the experience and threatened to take 'Wheel of Fortune' to CBS instead of the network.

Chuck was eventually fired from the gameshow and replaced by Pat Sajak after NBC withdrew its offer to him, ending the contract dispute. Vanna White also took Susan Stafford's place as the original letter-turner.

Chuck revealed that the two never spoke again before Griffin died from prostate cancer in 2007, and also mentioned that Griffin "wanted to get the best of me."

Pat hosted 'Wheel of Fortune' until June 2024 when he took his last spin and turned the hosting responsibilities over to Ryan Seacrest.

Chuck Woolery expressed regret for the way things transpired

Chuck Woolery expressed regret for the way things turned out in an interview with The New York Times in 2003. "If I wouldn't have left Wheel of Fortune, I'd be making about $10 million a year now," he stated at the time.

However, Chuck made a strong comeback with the syndicated 'Love Connection', which he oversaw for over 2,000 episodes between 1983 and 1994, per THR.

According to a 1986 article in People, Chuck was earning $1 million annually hosting 'Love Connection' and NBC's 'Scrabble'. The magazine noted that 'Love Connection' was bringing in $25 million annually and attracting 4.5 million viewers every day at that time.

Chuck, the vivacious and witty host who made a name for himself on programs like 'Wheel of Fortune', 'Love Connection', and 'Scrabble', died at his home in Texas with his wife Kristen by his side.

'Blunt Force Truth' podcast co-host and Chuck's longtime friend, Mark Young, shared the news on social media. "It is with a broken heart that I tell you my dear brother has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him, RIP brother," Young wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Chuck began his career in entertainment as a vocalist for the orchestral pop group The Avant-Garde, whose 1968 hit song 'Naturally Stoned' peaked at No 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Later, in 2003, the song was used as the theme song for his (very brief) Game Show Network reality show.

In addition, Chuck co-hosted the Family Channel's 'Home and Family' and had his own CBS daytime morning show, which was short-lived and competed with 'Live With Regis and Kathie Lee'.

Chuck also served as the face of several game shows, including 'Lingo' on the Game Show Network, 'Greed' on Fox, and a broadcasting reboot of 'The Dating Game'.