Now that Pat Sajak has left Wheel of Fortune longtime TV personality Ryan Seacrest is supposed to take the show into the future.
But suddenly things don’t seem as set as fans were led to believe.
And Wheel of Fortune fans are sweating bullets over another rumored shakeup in the wake of Pat Sajak’s retirement.
Another Wheel of Fortune shakeup?
Rumors are swirling that longtime letter turner Vanna White might be the next person to leave Wheel of Fortune.
White had been right alongside Sajak on Wheel for four decades until his recent retirement.
Sajak has been replaced by Ryan Seacrest, but an insider told The Daily Mail that White is finding it difficult to “jibe” with the 49-year-old former American Idol host.
White is considering exiting the show before her two-year contract – which she demanded just months ago in order to stay on the show post-Sajak – ends in 2026.
“Vanna is retiring from the show when her contract ends, but there is a part of her that wants to walk away sooner. It’s just so difficult to do this without Pat,” a show insider claimed.
“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 added.
The insider noted that Vanna also “feels that she has put her time in” and that she “devoted her entire life to this show, and she had an incredible run while making a fortune.”
“She knows that the show needs to go in a different direction and appeal to a younger demographic,” the source continued. “She wants the show to continue. This will require a younger female host, someone who can be to Ryan what she was to Pat.”
A promo for season 42 of the show shows Sajak officially handing the hosting torch over to Seacrest, adding how lucky he was to be able to work so closely with White.
“You’re never going to find a better job, and you’re never going to find a better co-host,” Sajak told Seacrest in the video, which was featured on Variety.
Two episodes of the upcoming season, slated to debut in September, have already been filmed with White and Seacrest sharing the stage.
Other disputes have affected the relationship
The revelation about Seacrest comes after White was involved in a contract dispute with Wheel of Fortune over her salary as soon as Sajak announced his plans to retire.
White was receiving $3 million per year and claimed to have not received a salary increase in 15 years, while Sajak received $15 million per year as the show’s actual host, according to TMZ.
The dispute ended when show executives offered White a “substantial increase” to stay on the show for the 2025-2026 season.
At the time, a source said, “White wants to make the transition between Pat and Ryan seamless, and having Vanna there would be wonderful to make that all happen.”
The source also said that the show wanted her next contract 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.”
US Political daily will keep you updated on any developments to this ongoing story.
