Ex ‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer reveals how Pat Sajak was behind the scenes: "When I met him..."

"The Wheel Of Fortune" and "The Price Is Right" are two longest-running American game shows that have captivated the hearts of millions for decades. Both are known for iconic hosts Pat Sajak and Bob Barker respectively, but apart from them models, co-hosts, and announcers have also been integral to their popularity. Famous announcer, Rich Fields is one of the few lucky ones who has collaborated with both Barker and Sajak.

Recently, Fields appeared on the "Wheel Of Fortune" podcast, "Come On Big Money" hosted by former contestant Raul to talk about his experience on the show with Sajak.

Fields served as the temporary announcer of "The Wheel Of Fortune" back in 2010, after the show’s longtime announcer, Charlie O'Donnell passed away. After spending nearly a decade on "The Price Is Right", Fields said that he received a warm welcome when he arrived on the set of "Wheel of Fortune." “[They were] gracious, welcoming from the get-go. Their attitude and personality interactions with me never changed from show number one to show number 58, or however many I did with them," Fields shared on the podcast.

Fields shared that he was called in on an emergency basis by the producers of the show, at a time when he was contemplating furthering his career as a Weather Man on CBS. He shared that he was just given the heads up just a day before coming to the studio for recording. He explained that initially, it was a bit odd to sit in the same dressing room as O'Donnell not long after his death and do the exact same things that he did. 

Nevertheless, it was still a dream come true moment for Fields as he got to be the announcer of the two most iconic shows of American Television. “And I got to say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!’ As soon as I got done doing that, they were walking out, and Mr. Sajak was like, as clear as a bell, ‘Thank you Rich. Rich Fields, our guest announcer today.’ And, God, it was just like … holy mackerel," he shared. "Just to hear him say my name was surreal for me," Fields added. 

Speaking about his experience behind the scenes with the two hosts, the former announcer shared that the Sajak and White were extremely nice to him. "Pat and Vanna were so cool with me it's a really special memory," he said. "They were just really giving professional people," he added. 

Fields shared that Sajak and Vanna White are amongst the classiest people he had ever met. “Pat even said to me the very first day when I met him in his dressing room, ‘We all understand you’re coming in under very difficult circumstances, so just go ahead and do your best and make Charlie proud,'” the former announcer shared. 

Fields went on to serve as announcer for 55 episodes between 2010 and 2011 until he was replaced by Jim Thornton who is currently the permanent announcer of the show.