Vanna White Wants To Stay On Wheel Of Fortune But There’s An Enormous Catch
Vanna White says if she's going to continue on Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak retires, she wants a long-awaited pay raise.
Vanna White wants to continue her Wheel of Fortune co-hosting duties, but only if she gets a massive pay raise. The 66-year-old currently earns a salary of $3 million per season, a figure that has remained constant for the past 18 years. Any additional compensation she received came in the form of bonuses rather than salary increases.
According to the New York Post, White has enlisted the services of Bryan Freedman, known for representing controversial Jeopardy! host Mike Richards, who is actively addressing the matter of pay discrepancy with Sony and raising concerns about potential gender discrimination in relation to Wheel of Fortune alum’s salary.
Meanwhile, Pat Sajak was said to earn $15 million annually from the show. However, it’s worth noting that their responsibilities on Wheel of Fortune are very different.
Sajak primarily handles the challenging task of engaging with contestants, while White taps a screen to reveal letters on the board. The request for more money comes as White is allegedly concerned she will lose her job once Sajak retires.
Sajak recently announced his retirement from Wheel of Fortune after serving as host for four decades. “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he said in a statement. “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all.”
While Pat Sajak will no longer be a prominent figure on Wheel of Fortune, he will continue to serve as a program consultant for the next three years. Meanwhile, fans are rallying behind Vanna White to take over as host. At the same time, several notable personalities, such as Andy Cohen, Whoopi Goldberg, and Stephen A. Smith, have expressed their interest in the opportunity.
After Sajak announced his retirement, White paid tribute to her longtime colleague on social media. “When we started Wheel of Fortune, who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?” she wrote. “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!”
Vanna White assumed the co-host role on Wheel of Fortune in 1982, taking over from model Susan Stafford. She was working as a struggling actor before she landed the job on the show. White’s popularity quickly grew, and along with Pat Sajak, the pair became one of the most iconic television duos of all time.
Although White started as the full-time letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune, she has been given more responsibility over the years. In 2019, White filled in for Sajak while he recovered from emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. She has also participated in special segments and events, such as the “Ultimate Host Night” episode in 2023.
Interestingly, Vanna White’s position was almost eliminated in the 1990s amid a dip in Wheel of Fortune’s popularity, but she remained on the show. Over the years, White has also made cameo appearances in several television shows, including Married… with Children, Full House, and Fresh off the Boat, marking a successful career in the entertainment industry.
While Vanna White would be the perfect replacement for Sajak since viewers love her and she is familiar with the show, other potential candidates include American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and Maggie Sajak (daughter of Pat), who joined Wheel of Fortune as a social media correspondent in 2021. No specific schedule has been set for announcing a successor to replace Pat Sajak as the host.
