Vanna White 'doesn't jibe' with Ryan Seacrest, could quit 'Wheel of Fortune' early (2024)

Vanna White’s time on Wheel of Fortune may be headed for an early end.

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According to a report in the Daily Mail, White, who inked a deal to stay on with the game show through the 2025-2026 season, “doesn’t jibe” with 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,” a source tells the publication.

After more than four decades, thousands of episodes, tens of thousands of contestants and hundreds of millions of dollars in prizes, White’s longtime screen partner Pat Sajak retired from Wheel of Fortune earlier this month.

“It is just so difficult to do this without Pat,” the show insider tells the Mail.

With her existing deal on the verge of expiry,White was looking for a pay bumpto keep tapping letters on the series before she inked an extension in 2023.

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In 2016,Forbesreported that Sajak earned $15 million a year for his nightly appearances, while White pocketed just $3 million a year for the past 18 years without any pay increases.

During his last episode, Sajak, 77, thanked viewers for their support throughout his 41 years fronting the program.

“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” he said. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgements before I go. And I want to start with all of you watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes, night after night, year after year, decade after decade. And I always felt that the privilege came with the responsibility to keep this daily half-hour a safe place for family fun. No social issues. No politics. Nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game. But gradually it became more than that.”

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Seacrest, who also hosts American Idol, is set to replace him this fall with Sajak’s co-host and letter-turner White sticking with the show for two more seasons.

“I don’t know how to put into words what these past 41 years have meant to me, but I’m going to try,” White said in a tribute video shared to YouTube. “8,000 episodes went by like that. When I first started, I was so green. You made me so comfortable and made me so confident, Pat. You made me who I am, you really did. As the years have gone by, we’ve grown up on television, but we’ve also shared so much more behind the scenes.”

As she gets ready to continue on with the broadcast, the Mail’s source says that White “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,” they 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. This will require a younger female host, someone who can be to Ryan what she was to Pat … 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.”

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White and Seacrest have already filmed two episodes ahead of their official debut this fall.

Sajak officially passed the baton to Seacrest in a new promo for Wheel of Fortune.

“I think what you’re going to enjoy most is meeting the players and getting to know the audience at home,” the three-time Emmy winner tells Seacrest in the video. “People love this show. They go and see us every day and spend a half hour with us and watch with the whole family.”

He goes on to add, “You’re never going to find a better job, and you’re never going to find a better co-host.”

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White, 67, called Sajak “a true friend” as she honoured their time in front of the camera before he signed off from the program. But she said their lives away from the spotlight have meant more to her. “Those memories, milestones and life events we shared with our families, outside the studio, are my favourite,” she said as candid photos were displayed onscreen.

After his final episode aired, Seacrest paid tribute to Sajak — and White — in an Instagram post.

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“Your dedication, charm, and wit have made the show a beloved part of American television for decades. Your partnership with Vanna has been nothing short of iconic, and together, you’ve created countless wonderful memories for viewers,” Seacrest wrote in his post, which included a photo and a video of him, Sajak and White on the Wheel of Fortune set. “You’ve set the standard for hosts everywhere, and this marks the end of an era.”

Seacrest and White kick off Wheel of Fortune Season 42 in September.

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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