Next year will be the beginning of a new era for Wheel of Fortune, as Ryan Seacrest has been tapped to replace longtime host Pat Sajak after his retirement.
With Sajak leaving after 40 years on the beloved game show, longtime fans have been wondering what the future holds for Vanna White, the show’s longtime co-host and letter revealer.
Now, one source from the show is opening up about what the future holds for Vanna White.
Vanna White – future on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Vanna White, 66, has been with Wheel of Fortune since 1982, nearly as long as Pat Sajak. She’s an iconic, familiar face, and some fans argued that she should take on Sajak’s role as host after his retirement.
But with the job going to Seacrest, and White’s contract running out next season, many fans wondered about her future with the show. But one source says Sony Pictures Television is working on a deal to keep Vanna White as co-host even after Seacrest begins his hosting tenure.
“They are in negotiations with her, and would like to have her back,” an insider from the show told People.
Keeping Vanna White on board would be a smart move for the show — keeping at least one longtime face on the show after Sajak retires would make the transition easier for many fans.
“Very difficult” salary negotiations — no raise in 18 years
However, White is reportedly holding out for a big salary increase in her new contract. According to TMZ, she is asking for half of what Pat Sajak has been making.
White has reportedly not been given a raise in 18 years, and there has been a massive pay gap between her and Sajak, despite them being almost equally the face of the program. According to Puck, White gets paid $3 million a year while Sajak gets paid almost five times as much.
Given this, White has reportedly hired an “aggressive new lawyer” for her negotiations.
“After 41 years as a model employee and more the face of that show than him [Pat], asking for 50% of what he makes seems like a no-brainer,” a source close to White told TMZ.
Negotiations are reportedly “very difficult” and far from settled: Sony hasn’t budged yet, and White will not settle unless she’s given “a minimum of what is fair.”
If the two sides can’t work things out, it’s possible that White will follow Sajak in retiring from the show, meaning there would be a new board revealer in 2024 in addition to a new host. A source recently told Daily Mail that White feared her job might be in jeopardy.
“The next year is going to be quite the ride and Vanna wants to be a part of it all even after he leaves, and she hopes they don’t force her out,” a source close to White told the outlet.
But hopefully, White will get a suitable salary to continue with the show for years to come. Despite the dispute about her salary, White has enjoyed her time on Wheel and said it was “depressing” to think about the end.
“I don’t even want to think about that. I mean, we’re a team,” she told People in December. “That’s depressing. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“I can’t imagine. Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna. We’re like Ken and Barbie, you know?” she said. “We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters.”
Pat Sajak retirement
On June 12, Sajak announced that he will retire after the upcoming 2023-2024 season. He has continuously hosted the show since 1981, making him the longest-running game show host in TV history.
“Well, the time has come,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months.”
“When we started [Wheel of Fortune] who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” Vanna White replied. “I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, [Pat Sajak]!
After it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would be taking over, Sajak gave his blessing and said he was looking forward to “handing over the car keys” to the new host in 2024.
In a statement, Seacrest indicated that he was expecting to co-host the show with Vanna White in the future.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
We love Vanna White, and would love to see her continue as co-host of Wheel of Fortune! We hope contract negotiations go well and she gets a fair salary.
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READ MORE:
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’ picks new host to replace Pat Sajak
- Pat Sajak retiring as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host after 40 years
- Vanna White hires ‘aggressive new lawyer’ after nearly 20 years on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ without a pay raise
