Is Vanna White Leaving ‘Wheel of Fortune’? Updates After Ryan Seacrest Replaces Pat Sajak 

Game show icon Vanna White first began her run on Wheel of Fortune as a substitute cohost. Once producers saw her star quality, they made her a permanent cohost on the show in 1982. More than four decades later, longtime viewers have wondered if Vanna is leaving the series following Pat Sajak’s exit. Scroll below for details on whether she is still on Wheel of Fortune. 

Inside Vanna White’s Full-Circle ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Career 

Alongside Pat, Vanna made quite a name for herself while turning letters on the series. In December 2019, she temporarily took over hosting duties while Pat recovered from emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. 

“It did get easier as the shows went on. I wasn’t able to rehearse a lot before I [took over] because it happened suddenly,” the South Carolina native reflected in an interview with Closer after stepping into the hosting role. “So, I didn’t have any experience under my belt, you know. I was just kind of thrown into it. It was a lot to comprehend to carry a show, and I’m a very shy person anyway and don’t really talk a lot. So, to have to carry the show was kind of scary.”

Vanna excelled in the position while filling in for her longtime friend and colleague for multiple episodes. Pat was so grateful to his costar for tackling hosting duties while he was on the mend. 

“The fact that she did it speaks volumes about her. It would have been very easy for her to say, ‘I’m sorry, this is not what I do,’” Pat shared during a March 2020 interview on CBS Sunday Morning. “But the audience was rooting for her and almost proud to see her up there.”

Is Vanna White Leaving ‘Wheel of Fortune’? 

On June 12, 2023, Pat announced he was leaving Wheel of Fortune after season 41. Ryan Seacrest was named the new host of the series, confirming the news in a statement posted on Instagram on June 27, 2023. 

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them,” he wrote. 

The American Idol host also confirmed that Vanna would be joining him on the series to continue her cohosting role for season 42. 

“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel, and working alongside the great Vanna White,” Ryan said. 

In the past, Vanna got candid about what it was like to build such an incredible TV empire with Pat. After sharing the screen for more than 40 years together, she made it clear that they had an unbreakable bond.

“I think when Merv Griffin chose both of us, 40 and 41 years ago, he saw something between us — a brother-sister type relationship,” Vanna reflected in a December 2022 interview with People. “And I think that is kind of what it is. He saw that we would be able to get along, and we do. We are like a brother and sister team.”

When it came to talking about her future on the series and its possible end, the former beauty queen got emotional. 

“I don’t even want to think about that. I mean, we’re a team,” she continued. “That’s depressing. I don’t even want to think about it.”

For now, it looks like the beloved star is here to stay on Wheel of Fortune. In September 2023, she officially extended her contract to remain on the series through the 2025-2026 season, Closer confirmed.