Game show host Chuck Woolery, known for his 30-year career in American television, died on Sunday at the age of 83.
Woolery was the original host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection,” and the TV adaptation of “Scrabble.” He was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1978.
In later years, he transitioned into podcasting, co-hosting political podcast “Blunt Force Truth” until his death.
Condolences poured in from friends and fans following the news of his passing.
His podcast co-host and friend Mark Young posted on X, “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.”
Broadcast news analyst Mark Levin posted, “Terrible. Chuck Woolery was a great guy. A great patriot. I’m deeply sorry to hear about his sudden death. RIP.”
Television show host Janice Dean said, “ShannonBream and I were lucky enough to work with the great@chuckwoolery on @foxnation’s 80’s Quiz show this past summer. He was kind, funny and such a gentleman. Loved watching@FoxNews as well. Rest in peace, my friend.”
From 1983 to 1994, Woolery hosted the television dating game show “Love Connection,” a blend of reality TV and game show elements, referenced in various media over the years.
The show’s format involved a guest choosing one of three potential dates based on pre-recorded video profiles. After the date, both participants would return to discuss their experience, while the studio audience voted on their preferred match.
The show became famous for Woolery’s iconic catchphrase, “We’ll be back in two and two,” referencing the two-minute and two-second commercial break.
Over its 11-year run, “Love Connection” aired 2,120 episodes, making it one of the longest-running syndicated game shows of its time.
In 1984, Woolery added “Scrabble“ to his hosting duties, managing both shows until 1990.
Woolery initially rose to fame as the original host of “Wheel of Fortune.” On the show, contestants solved word puzzles to win cash and prizes, with outcomes determined by spinning a large carnival-style wheel. Created by Merv Griffin, “Wheel of Fortune“ debuted in 1975 and remains a staple of American entertainment. Woolery hosted the show from 1975 to 1981.
Recalling his start in game shows, Woolery told The New York Times in 2003, “I had an interview that stretched to 15, 20 minutes,” he said. “After the show, when Merv asked if I wanted to do a game show, I thought, ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad mustache who doesn’t care what you have to say—that’s the guy I want to be.’”
After his television career, Woolery turned to podcasting. In a New York Times interview, he described himself as a gun-rights advocate, conservative libertarian, and constitutionalist, explaining that he had kept his political views private in Hollywood to avoid backlash.
Born on March 6, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery spent two years serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Enterprise before pursuing his passion for entertainment as a career.
He started as a double bass player in a folk trio before forming the psychedelic rock duo The Avant-Garde in 1967, all while working as a truck driver to support his musical ambitions. The duo, touring in a repurposed Cadillac hearse, achieved a Top 40 hit with their song “Naturally Stoned.”
After The Avant-Garde disbanded, Woolery released his debut solo single, “I’ve Been Wrong,” in 1969, followed by several more singles under Columbia Records. By the 1970s, he had shifted his focus to country music.