The transition from Pat Sajak to Ryan Seacrest as the host of Wheel of Fortune reportedly isn’t going smoothly.
A source told The Daily Mail that Vanna White is considering exiting the game show before the end of her recently-signed two-year contract extension. “Vanna is retiring from the show when her contract ends, but there is a part of her that wants to walk away sooner,” they said. “It is just so difficult to do this without 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.”
White worked with Sajak on Wheel for over 40 years and 8,000 episodes. Expecting her and Seacrest to have instant chemistry — especially when he’s busy with 17 other projects, not to mention all the clogged toilets — is a tough ask.
The source continued, “Vanna 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. 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.” Someone like… Pat Sajak’s daughter, perhaps?
Ryan Seacrest’s first episode as Wheel of Fortune will air in September 2024.
(Via The Daily Mail)
