Now that Pat Sajak has officially retired, fans can’t help but wonder whether Vanna White leaving Wheel of Fortune too, especially now that she has a new co-host by her side.
Wheel of Fortune was hosted by Sajak and White from 1983 to Sajak’s exit in 2024. White, a pageant queen whose prior game-show experience was a brief stint on The Price Is Right, joined Wheel of Fortune after she wrote into the game show hoping to be contestant. “They said, ‘If you’re ever in Los Angeles, you can come in and audition,’” White recalled to Variety in September 2017. “Little did I know I was going to come in and audition for the actual job!” In the audition, White admitted that she was the “most nervous” in her life and could barely talk because she wanted the job so badly.
Many experts credits White’s arrival for helping the show become the widely successful nighttime syndicated program it is now. “I remember them saying 100 million people a week watch our show,” White also told Variety. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, I’ve been in a stadium with 60,000 people, and that’s a lot of people. I guess we have something here.’”
After 40 years on air together, Sajak announced in 2023 that that Wheel of Fortune Season 41 would be his last. “Well, the time has come,” Sajak said in a statement to Bloomberg News. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.” His final episode aired in June 2024.
But where does that leave White? Is Vanna White leaving Wheel of Fortune too? Keep reading for what we know.
Is Vanna White leaving Wheel of Fortune?
No, White is not leaving Wheel of Fortune. However, don’t be surprised if she announces her exit soon. A source told The Daily Mail in June 2024 that White plans to retire from Wheel of Fortune after her contract ends in 2026 due to drama between her and the game show’s new host, Ryan Seacrest. “Vanna is retiring from the show when her contract ends, but there is a part of her that wants to walk away sooner,” the insider said. “It is just so difficult to do this without Pat.” The source continued, “She just doesn’t jibe with Ryan like she did with Pat, and no one really ever expected her to. There is just no way that she possibly could.”
The source explained that White also understands for Wheel of Fortune to work in the long run, Seacrest would need a new female co-host. “Vanna feels that she has put her time in. She devoted her entire life to this show and she had an incredible run while making a fortune,” the insider said. “She knows that the show needs to go in a different direction and appeal to a younger demographic. She wants the show to continue.” The source continued, “This will require a younger female host, someone who can be to Ryan what she was to Pat.”
The insider also claimed that Wheel of Fortune is also on board to renew White’s contract one more time for a final run before her official exit from the game show. “Wheel wants to make the transition between Pat and Ryan seamless and having Vanna there would be wonderful to make that all happen,” the insider said. “They want her next contract though to be her last contract so there is a little more maneuverability to change things up in a few years when they look for her replacement.”
News broke in September 2023 that White had extended her contract for two more years at Wheel of Fortune, which means that she’ll continue to co-host the series at least through the game show’s 2025-2026 season.
White’s new contract came after TMZ reported that White had received a “substantial pay increase” from her $3 million-per-year salary she was making for almost two decades. The site reported that she had not received a raise in 18 years prior to Sajak’s exit announcement. Though TMZ didn’t confirm White’s new pay, the site reported that her lawyer, Brian Freedman,” requested that Sony pay her at least half of what Sajak’s $15 million-per-year salary was, which would’ve given White $7.5 million per year.
White also confirmed her stay on Wheel of Fortune in an interview with People in October 2023, while addressing “rumors” that she was too demanding in her salary negotiations. “It was because people just have rumors,” White said, adding that she considers herself a “strong person” but found the rumors hard to read. “Everything is so blown out of proportion, not just with my stuff, with everybody’s stuff.” She continued, “I’m not going to do anything I don’t want to do or that I don’t believe in. My mother taught me that at a young age and I’m sticking to my guns.”
In her interview with People, White admitted that she considered also leaving Wheel of Fortune when Sajak announced his exit but is “happy” she agreed to stay. “I’m just so happy that I have signed for two more years,” she says. “I have this next year with Pat, and then I have two years after that, so I will be part of Wheel of Fortune, at least through 2026,” she said.
She also revealed the advice she would give to other women who may be in the same position she was in with Wheel of Fortune.“I would tell them to follow your heart and really don’t do anything you don’t want to do,” she said. “Don’t let anybody talk you into doing anything you don’t want to do. You have that instinct inside you, we all do. You listen to that instinct inside of you. It never is wrong.”
What is Vanna White’s salary for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune?
In July 2023, news also broke that White had renegotiated her salary for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, according to our sister site Deadline. Sources said that the new deal came with a substantial salary increase, after many reports that White was making significantly less than Sajak. TMZ learned that White’s lawyers allegedly negotiated up to $100k per episode for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
When American Idol host Ryan Seacrest was named as Sajak’s successor on July 27, 2023, he alluded to White’s return to Wheel of Fortune in his statement.
Toward the end of his statement, Seacrest said that he’s excited to work alongside Vanna White when he joins in Season 42. “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
Prior to her new contract, Puck News reported on June 23, 2023, that some executives at Sony TV suggested “eliminating” Vanna White’s role because it might no longer be necessary if the show replaces Sajak with an established name, such as Ryan Seacrest or these other high-profile contenders.
The alleged conversations occurred during negotiations for White to return to the show beyond the upcoming season. Puck News also confirmed that White’s prior salary was about $3 million annually, which was allegedly five times less than what Sajak makes.
Before she confirmed her stay on Wheel of Fortune, insider revealed to The Daily Mail in June 2023 that “’Vanna doesn’t want to leave Wheel of Fortune even after Pat’s announcement of retirement and she would highly consider taking over his role as host on the show.” Additionally, the source said that Vanna allegedly hoped that “they don’t force her out.” “Vanna is in it for the long haul. If she doesn’t take over Pat’s job when he is done, she would like to be a part of the selection process for Pat’s replacement because if it is up to her, she is in it forever,” the source said.
White reacted to Sajak’s exit and paid tribute to their decades of hosting Wheel of Fortune together after his exit announcement in June 2023. “When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later? I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!,” she wrote on Twitter on June 13, 2023.
When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later? I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak! https://t.co/yYmo3G0Dtb
— Vanna White (@TheVannaWhite) June 13, 2023
Before his official exit, Sajak hinted that his time on Wheel could be coming to an end soon in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in September 2022. “Years go by fast. We’re getting near the end. It’s been a long [time]. We’re not going to do this for another 40 years. The end is near,” he told the site.
Meanwhile, White gave the opposite reaction of her counterpart. “I just visualize us just being there. I can’t think beyond that… I can’t imagine. Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna. We’re like Ken and Barbie, you know?” she told People in December 2022. “We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters,” she said.
Is Vanna White replacing Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune?
No, Vanna White is not replacing Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune. Ryan Seacrest was named the new host after Sajak’s retirement. “I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them,” the longtime American Idol host wrote in an Instagram statement on June 27, 2023.
Although Seacrest was chosen to take over — back when Sajak announced his retirement — fans overwhelmingly took to social media to request that White fully take over the program. “With the news of Pat Sajak retiring, I’d like to formally begin the campaign of getting Vanna White to take over Wheel of Fortune,” wrote Esquire journalist Justin Kirkland.
With the news of Pat Sajak retiring, I’d like to formally begin the campaign of getting Vanna White to take over Wheel of Fortune. https://t.co/Sebb2pIhFj
— Justin Kirkland (@justinkirkland4) June 12, 2023
In December 2019, when Sajak had to get emergency surgery, White was asked last minute to take over his hosting duties for three weeks. When asked by Esquire if she ever thought about hosting before, she responded: “No. No. It’s just out of my realm. I never even thought of that. It just kind of happened, and I didn’t have enough time to think about it.”
White also said at the time that she was not looking to take over Pat’s position. “I like my puzzle board, I want to stay at my puzzle board. And there’s no competition either. It’s Pat’s job, and I’m filling in for him. I’m not looking to take his position.”
VANNA WHITE FOR WHEEL OF FORTUNE HOST 2024
— Amanda (AJ) Stewart WEAR (@AmandaJWEAR) June 13, 2023
Despite White’s hosting reservations four years ago, fans were convinced that she’ll make the perfect replacement for her Wheel of Fortune costar. “With Pat Sajak retiring, the ONLY smart thing is to make VANNA WHITE the new host of WHEEL OF FORTUNE! She’s already proven herself as a substitute host, everybody loves her and she can provide smooth, unbroken continuity,” one user posted on Twitter.
For more on primetime shows, check out our photo gallery on the best nighttime soaps ranked.
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