Wheel of Fortune is undergoing a massive change with the departure of host Pat Sajak.
But more changes could be in store for the beloved game show.
And Vanna White made this surprising confession about her future on Wheel of Fortune.
Wheel of Fortune is undergoing a dramatic change
A big change is on the way for Wheel of Fortune with the retirement of long-time host Pat Sajak.
Sajak is leaving after serving as the long-running game show host since 1981.
Letter-turner Vanna White has worked alongside him since she joined the show in 1982.
The pair have become one of the most iconic duos on TV after working together for more than four decades.
White admitted in an interview with TVInsider that she thought about joining Sajak when he made his retirement announcement in 2023.
She was asked how long she planned on sticking around Wheel of Fortune.
“I don’t know,” White said. “When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too. But I’m not ready! We’ll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job.”
White signed a two-year contract extension that will take her through the 2025-2026 season.
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is set to replace Sajak as the game show’s new host.
TVInsider also asked her how she felt about Sajak’s retirement.
“I can’t describe how I feel. I feel happy for him,” White explained. “I can’t imagine doing the show without him after 41 years. I sum it up as [like] reading a good book. It always has to end. This has been the best book I’ve ever read.”
White told the outlet that after working with Sajak for so long he’s become like a family member.
“I don’t think there’s anything [he and I] haven’t talked about in 8,000 shows,” White said. “We’ve traveled around the world together. We’ve watched our kids grow up together. We’ve thrown pies in each other’s faces. He’s so funny! I love him like a brother. Gosh, I’ve known him longer than I’ve known anybody. We will be friends forever.”
Vanna White reveals how Pat Sajak helped during her first day on the show
White is a natural now serving as the show’s letter-turner but that wasn’t the case when she got started.
“I remember being extremely nervous. It was hard for me to even talk,” White said about her first show. “My mouth was just shaking out of nerves because it was, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I’m on a TV show.’”
She said that Sajak calmed her nerves during her first episode.
“Pat. [He said,] ‘Calm down, it’s going to be OK.’ I was just a little old girl from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, wanting to be on TV from the time I was 10,” White recalled. “He made me feel comfortable in front of a camera. He was my teacher.”
Now Vanna White will be the veteran presence helping Ryan Seacrest with his transition as the new host of Wheel of Fortune.
