Pat Sajak and Vanna White aren’t leaving Wheel of Fortune anytime soon, but another member of the Sajak family is joining the team. Variety brought word on Wednesday that the longtime duo leading the way on the other syndicated game show companion to Jeopardy! will stay with the show until at least 2024.
That’s thanks to a new deal that comes on the heels of some Jeopardy! and Wheel-related drama with Mike Richards, the once-replacement host for the late Alex Trebek who resigned in shame last month and stepped down as executive producer of both shows in the aftermath of that controversy. As Variety detailed, Sajak and White will remain on Wheel of Fortune until at least the end of the 2023-24 season, with Sajak serving as consulting producer along with his hosting duties.
And one other note on the deal is that Sajak’s daughter, Maggie, will join the show as a digital correspondent.
“Wheel of Fortune” will also become more of a family affair this year as Maggie Sajak, Pat’s daughter, will be joining the show’s digital presence as its social correspondent. She’ll be the online host sharing exclusive videos, behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with the hosts, staff, crew, and contestants. “Wheel of Fortune’s” digital channels including its website and pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
The move comes after a year where game show succession plans have become big news. Trebek’s death, for example, made some wonder what the plan is for Wheel, as Sajak himself is 74 years old and in 2020 missed some tapings after recovering from surgery. While Sajak was recovering, Vanna White hosted the show while Maggie turned letters for a few episodes. It was a nice touch, and it seems that was a warmup for a bigger role in the show moving forward.
Whether Maggie Sajak has a future on the stage is tough to say, but at least the show is much more stable in its future than a still-host-less Jeopardy!
[via Variety]
