New Hampshire Woman is Why Pat Sajak From ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Left Mid-Show

So maybe he had other reasons for announcing his upcoming retirement, but it was a woman from New Hampshire who gave us a sneak preview of life without Pat Sajak.

The legendary host was nowhere to be found, and the show’s announcer, Jim Thornton, was left to cover while a contestant named Sarah tried to solve the final puzzle.

Was Pat finally voweled out? Had he retired unexpectedly? Probably not, since the first thing you do once you retire is watch Wheel of Fortune.

According to the Today show, a contestant from New Hampshire is actually a big fan of Thornton. And when she made it to the final round, the host and announcer decided to do her a Granite State solid and swap places.

Earlier in the show, the contestant, named Sarah, told Sajak:

“I love Jim Thornton so much. And how could someone not? His voice is so soothing and energizing. He's hilarious and just such a good person. When I don't hear his voice I worry about him," she added. So, I'm so glad he's here.”

Umm…okay, why not!

But while Sarah got to experience her dream moment alongside her favorite announcer, she sadly didn’t win, leaving $40,000 behind.

But it makes sense that a New Englander would fall harder for the announcer than the host. After all, the most famous TV announcer of all time (and Johnny Carson’s sidekick) Ed McMahon is a native of Lowell, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Boston College.

And the voice most likely to give him a run for the top spot, Don Pardo of Saturday Night Live, was also a Massachusetts native and graduate of Emerson College in Boston.