Original ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host Chuck Woolery Dead at 83

Legendary game show host Chuck Woolery — best known for being the first host of “Wheel of Fortune” — has passed away … TMZ has confirmed.

Chuck’s longtime friend and podcast cohost Mark Young tells TMZ … he was at Chuck’s home in Texas when Chuck said he wasn’t feeling well and went to lie down.

He came back to the room a short time later and said he was having trouble breathing. 911 was called, but Woolery did not make it.

Game show enthusiasts will be very familiar with Chuck’s work … with Woolery’s big break coming in 1975 when he became the first host of “Wheel of Fortune.”

He hosted the show until 1981 when he left due to a salary dispute and Pat Sajak took over the job. He went on to host “Love Connection,” “Scrabble” and a revival of “The Dating Game.”

Woolery made appearances as himself on a few different TV shows over the years … including the movie “Cold Feet” and the sitcoms “227” and “Scrubs.” He also had a small music career, playing mostly country.

We last caught up with Chuck back in 2016 … and, we asked him a ton of questions about the game show world.

Chuck is survived by his wife Kim and his children, Katherine, Melissa, Michael and Sean. He was 83.