‘The Price Is Right’ announcer reveals what it was like to fill in on ‘Wheel of Fortune’: ‘Mr. Sajak was...’
‘Wheel of Fortune’ once welcomed Rich Fields as its guest announcer after Charlie O’Donnell passed away back in 2010. While being part of one of the most beloved reality shows, Fields developed a strong bond with both Pat Sajak and Vanna White, who gave him a warm welcome. Recalling his first day on the set of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ the former announcer mentioned, “[They were] gracious, welcoming from the get-go.” Opening up on ‘Come On Big Money’ podcast, Fields also stated, “Their attitude and personality interactions with me never changed from show number one to show number 58, or however many I did with them. [They’re] just really giving, professional people.”
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According to Fields, meeting Sajak was a warm experience, as the former host “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.'” According to TV Insider, he added that it felt “surreal” introducing Sajak and White on the show for the first time. He recalled announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!” followed by an unforgettable moment, “As soon as I got done doing that, they’re 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. I forgot about Pat always saying, ‘Thank you, Charlie.’ Just to hear him say my name was surreal for me.”
Fields was invited as a temporary announcer for ‘Wheel of Fortune’ following O’Donnell’s passing on November 1, 2010. In June 2011, the show named Jim Thornton as its permanent announcer. Fields appeared in only 55 episodes, and according to him, did not witness any major puzzle blunders or fails. He also had experience working with Bob Barker and Drew Carey as the announcer on ‘The Price Is Right’ from 2004 to 2010. He has retired from broadcasting and now works as a motivational speaker and event emcee. Apart from his work in the broadcasting industry, Fields is an entrepreneur, a meteorologist, an author, and a cancer survivor.
O’Donnell was born on August 12, 1932, in Philadelphia and worked for a local radio station during his early years, and later as a DJ in New York. In 1964, while serving as a DJ on KRLA-AM (1110), O’Donnell had the honor of introducing the Beatles when the legends played the Hollywood Bowl. It was in 1975 that O’Donnell joined ‘Wheel of Fortune’ as an announcer. However, he took a brief break from his duties when he switched to another job but returned to WoF in 1989, after which he stayed with the show until his death at the age of 78. O’Donnell was also Dick Clark’s early sidekick on TV’s 'American Bandstand.' “He quite literally was the voice of ‘Wheel,’” Sajak mentioned of O’Donnell, also adding that the announcer had "an old-school style that was a little over the top. It was perfect for the show. We’re a little over the top.”
