WHEEL of Fortune had an extra-special guest this week when longtime host Pat Sajak's daughter Maggie filled in as the surprise letter turner.
The 25-year-old filled in at the letter board so Vanna White could host the show while Pat, 73, recovers from his emergency surgery for a blocked intestine in November.
Vanna, 62, had previously taken over hosting duties from the game show host at the beginning of December and was back presenting the long-running game show again on Monday.
Not to worry fans, Pat put viewers' minds at rest as he explained in a brief message before Monday's episode that his absence wasn't down to a "relapse" but rather, "the technicalities of the taping order."
The veteran host said: "This is a little complicated so pay attention. I was back from my surgery last week and had a wonderful time on the show and I'm not gonna be here this week.
"It's not that I've had a relapse, it's just because of the technicalities of the taping order and all that.
Teasing up Maggie’s appearance, he added: "So you're going to see Vanna doing her Pat impression here, she's does a great job.
"And we have a special letter toucher so pay attention."
After his personal message, the episode cut to Vanna entering the iconic game show set, teasing Maggie’s entrance by saying she could "host the show better with a Sajak."
Sharing a warm embrace with Vanna, Maggie then shared an update on her father explaining that he's "doing well" but admitted it was a scary time for the family.
She shared: "From the perspective of his daughter, it was a scary experience, I'm not gonna lie, but he's doing great and he's so excited to be back next week".
In another touching moment on the show, Vanna showed a clip of Maggie's first appearance on the show, back in 1996 when she was just a year old.
In early November, Pat had to undergo emergency surgery for a blocked intestine, leaving Vanna to fill in for the veteran game show host.
Despite the severity of his surgery, Pat has bounced back from his health woes and told Good Morning America last month that he feels "great".
He told GMA‘s Paula Faris: "I've actually felt ridiculously good for several weeks. I’ve been back in the studio spinning the wheel and nothing has popped."
In November, the Wheel of Fortune star was rushed to the hospital for "excruciating" stomach pain, which was due to an intestinal block, and subsequently went under the knife within two hours of being admitted.
Despite the medical scare, Pat said the surgery was successful and he can’t wait to get back into the studio.
Source: Read Full Article