Chuck Woolery, the original host of Wheel of Fortune, passed away suddenly at his Texas home at age 83.
Woolery, a beloved television personality, pioneered Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981 before handing the reins to Pat Sajak.
He later became the face of Love Connection for 11 years.
His longtime friend and podcast co-host Mark Young was with him when he breathed his last, despite 911 being called.
Woolery’s charm and wittiness earned him a Daytime Emmy and the hearts of millions.
It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him,RIP brother pic.twitter.com/OVPgG195RX
— Dr. Mark Young (@MarkYoungTruth) November 24, 2024
Chuck Woolery, original ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host, dead at 83 https://t.co/sSrk7CddxW pic.twitter.com/l52GWdfXOX
— New York Post (@nypost) November 24, 2024
Daily Mail reports:
Chuck Woolery passed away at the age of 83 at his home in Texas on Saturday, his longtime friend Mark Young has confirmed.
The beloved television personality, who was best known for being the very first to host Wheel of Fortune, died suddenly while Young was visiting him at his home.
‘It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother has just passed away,’ Young wrote in an emotional tribute on X, formerly Twitter. ‘Life will not be the same without him, RIP brother.’
While he circumstances around Woolery’s death are not yet known, Young told TMZ that the actor was not feeling well and went to lie down.
Young, who co-hosted the Blunt Force Truth podcast with his late friend, said Woolery later returned to the room to tell him that he was having trouble breathing.
Young told the outlet it was then he called 911 but Woolery did not make it.
Woolery was best known for being the original host of Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981.
He earned a Daytime Emmy in 1978 for his work on Wheel of Fortune.
After nearly a decade, he exited the show to pursue other endeavors and passed the torch to Pat Sajak, who took over until 2024.
He went on to play matchmaker on Love Connection for 11 years.
ADVERTISEMENTAdditionally, Woolery was also the host for game shows, such as Scrabble, Greed and Lingo.
He kicked off his entertainment career as a singer initially.
The original host of Wheel of Fortune
RIP Chuck Woolery 😢 pic.twitter.com/MGR1k3hdkG
— Judge Noreika Smelled A Rat (@QTPahTootie) November 24, 2024
After hosting the Wheel of Fortune, he went on and hosted some memorable moments on Love Connection.
RIP Chuck Woolery pic.twitter.com/fw9Wvukk0A
— RSGB 🇺🇸 (@RedStateGayBro1) November 24, 2024
Here’s the last interview he recorded:
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