Is Vanna White leaving Wheel of Fortune alongside Pat Sajak?
Well, at this point, let’s just say that things are rather interesting. White will be the singular face of the show after Pat departs, but a report from Puck News suggests that the co-host role could be eliminated in the event that a big name is hired for the hosting position.
So would this actually happen? Well, it’s something that you can’t 100% rule out, but a source close to the show tells TVLine that there “is no plan to eliminate Vanna’s role … Sony is in active discussions to renew Vanna’s deal beyond her current contract.”
The most shocking part of this report is the fact that White receives $3 million a year for the game show, which is around five times less than Sajak. If she stays on, we would certainly expect this number to rise and honestly, it should. The format of the show and the two hosts are a big part of what makes it familiar and warm. If there is no one over there by the puzzles, what makes this show fundamentally different? It’s not so much about whether or not someone necessarily has to be over by the board. Instead, it is about a viewer point of view and what they like to see.
Personally, we think that this show will need some continuity. If you lose Pat Sajak, you need to be able to keep Vanna for at least a certain period of time. She has been a part of the show for so many decades, and she is equally iconic to Pat in so many ways.
For now, nobody has to make some sort of immediate decision — there are a lot of episodes that are going to be taped before we get to the end of the road for Sajak here.
What do you think — will Vanna White stay put on Wheel of Fortune?
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