Vanna White Closes ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Deal Ahead of Host Pat Sajak’s Final Season

Vanna White will remain by Pat Sajak‘s side during his final season of Wheel of Fortune. 

The 66-year-old TV personality has extended her contract through to the 2025-2026 TV season. This means in addition to being on hand to turn letters on Sajak’s last episodes, White will also be there when Ryan Seacrest takes over as host next fall.

Sajak announced in June that season 41 of Wheel of Fortune, which kicked off last week, would be his last. However, his daughter, Maggie Sajak, will carry on his legacy as a social media correspondent for the game show, which has been renewed through season 45. 

News that White is staying on the show comes months after Puck News reported that she had not had a pay raise in nearly two decades, and had hired an “aggressive new lawyer” to get her raise amid ongoing negotiations.

Citing multiple sources, Puck News claimed White made $3 million a year, while Sajak was earning five times that. Sony declined to comment on the report at the time.

White, who joined the show in 1982, is undoubtedly synonymous with Wheel of Fortune, which premiered in 1981. 

And just moments before news broke that White would be sticking around, ET spoke with Seacrest about how he was feeling about stepping into Sajak’s shoes. 

“He is a legend. I’ve looked up to him forever. He’s so good at that job, which, you know, is a little bit of pressure here,” Seacrest said of the 76-year-old host. “But he just said, ‘You’re going to have a great time. It’s so much fun. What’s better than giving away money and doing that every single night?’ I can’t wait to meet the contestants and do it.”

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