Woolery Reveals 25Year Rift With Merv Griffin on The Strip



Game show king Chuck Woolery said he was replaced in 1981 as host of "Wheel of Fortune" after Merv Griffin created a "hostile work environment" and refused to give him the raise he demanded.

Woolery, host of the top-rated Game Show Network show "Lingo," told the hosts of the weekly celeb-interview podcast "The Strip" that now that Griffin has died he feels it's time to "give my side" of his exit from what would go on to be the most successful syndicated television program in history.

Woolery said in 1981 he demanded a raise from $65,000 a year to about $500,000 a year because the then-NBC show was drawing a 44 share and other hosts were making that much. When Griffin only wanted to pay about $400,000, NBC stepped in to offer to pay the other $100,000. Griffin was furious with the network and threatened to take the show to CBS, so the network withdrew the offer, Griffin fired Woolery and installed Sajak as host, according to Woolery.

"While Merv was alive, I never went to war with him on it," said Woolery, who also hosted "Scrabble,"The Dating Game" and "Greed," and is now one of three rotating hosts of a live matinee at the Las Vegas Hilton called "The $250,000 Game Show Extravaganza."I just kinda sucked it up. I think Merv was very hurt over that. When I say hurt, I'm not sure that's the right word, that I hurt his feelings so to speak. But I think my impression was he wanted ot get the best of me."

Woolery said the two men never spoke again before Griffin died in August 2007.

The audio of this show and any edition of "The Strip," which posts every Thursday night, can be found at



Woolery Reveals 25Year Rift With Merv Griffin on The Strip