Chuck Woolery, Game Show host, dies at age 83

Chuck Woolery, the veteran game show host who gained fame as the original emcee behind “Wheel of Fortune” and later as the face of the popular syndicated dating show “Love Connection,” has died. He was 83.

The news was first reported on social media X by Woolery’s friend Mark Young, who noted that “it is with a broken heart that I tell you my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed. Life will not be the same without him, RIP brother.”

The website TMZ confirmed the news and reported that Woolery died at his home in Texas after having trouble breathing.

Woolery, who spent more than a decade as the host of “Love Connection” (where he famously told viewers before commercial breaks that the show would be back in “two and two”), became known in recent years as a conservative talk show host and pundit. He hosted a nationally syndicated radio commentary show, “Save Us Chuck Woolery,” as well as the “Blunt Force Truth” podcast, with Young as his co-host.

But before he focused on politics, Woolery’s game show bona fides, including hosting “Wheel of Fortune” from 1975 to 1981, before Pat Sajak took over. He was also known for hosting the gamer “Scrabble”, a season of the talker “The Chuck Woolery Show” and the original version of the daytime talk show “Home & Family” on the Family Channel.

Woolery also hosted “The Dating Game,” the primetime game show “Greed” and Game Show Network’s “Lingo.” He also played himself on “227”, “Cold Feet” and “Scrubs” and then starred in a reality show about his life called “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned”.

Woolery was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007.

Prior to his television career, Woolery served in the US Navy and then began his career as a performer with the musical group The Avante-Garde, who had a top 40 hit with “Naturally Stoned”. He later had a handful of solo songs on the country chart.