After 43 Years, Vanna White Is Considering LEAVING ‘Wheel of Fortune’ — Fans Have Ideas on Who Can Replace America’s sweetheart on the beloved show
After 43 Years, Is Vanna White Considering Leaving ‘Wheel of Fortune’?
Vanna White has been America’s sweetheart on Wheel of Fortune since the 1980s. Fans have wondered if she’ll hang up her letter-turning role any time soon, especially in the wake of having a new host, Ryan Seacrest, enter the chat last season. In 2023, she secured a big contract for her first raise in 20 years, but it may not be long before she, too, bids adieu to the iconic game show.
Vanna White’s Current ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contract Ends in 2026
According to Forbes, for her first season without host Pat Sajak, White accepted a $10 million deal while only filming 34 days out of the year. She previously made $3 million, which was a fraction of what Sajak earned, as he reportedly made $15 million annually. Her contract lasts through the 2025-2026 season of Wheel of Fortune, but her future with the show after that remains uncertain. When Sajak hung up his hosting duties, White also considered walking away. She told Forbes that it was only natural considering she’d worked alongside him for so many years:
“I thought I would step away with Pat [in 2024]. My thought was, how am I going to continue working with a new person? It’s a scary thought to bring somebody new in. And then I thought to myself, Am I ready to retire? And the answer was, in my heart, no. I still love what I do.”
White also spoke about her staying power on the show, having the same role for over three decades. “As times change, so does fashion and hair and all that stuff,” she said, noting that being yourself is key. “But I’m still doing what I did the first day I started. I’m on TV as myself. I’m not playing another person. And I might not talk that much, but I’m hoping I can give a good feeling to people out there. That’s my whole reason for doing this job.”
Fans Have Ideas on Who Can Replace Vanna White on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
In case of White’s retirement, there’s one person at the top of the fans’ list who could take the gig: Sajak’s daughter, Maggie Sajak. The conversation began in a Reddit thread, with one user asking, “Whenever Vanna White retires, do you think Maggie Sajak will take her spot as letter toucher?” Maggie has worked as Wheel of Fortune’s social media correspondent since 2021 and stepped in as a substitute letter turner in the past. “Yeah, it’s been obvious for years that she is a textbook nepobaby,” a user added. Another chimed in, “That feels like the plan. It’s the only reason they keep shoving her in our faces.”
In 2024, White opened up about how her role as a letter turner has become nonexistent, so the job may change even more whenever she exits. “When I first started, I had to physically turn every letter,” she explained. “Then they switched to TV monitors, so I just had to touch the letters and they would light up. Now the board is operated by a laser. It’s like a flat screen. And when I go to touch the letter, the laser catches my movement. It’s crazy, right?” While the job may have changed dramatically, fans still love to watch Vanna White on their screens every week — the question that remains is how long she’ll keep doing it.
