9In a surprising move, Vanna White is being temporarily replaced on Wheel of Fortune (1975-present). However, it remains to be seen if this is actually temporary or will turn into a permanent change.
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Created by Merv Griffin, Wheel of Fortune is one of the longest-running and most beloved game shows in American history and dominated television ratings alongside Jeopardy! (1964-present) and Alex Trebek. And much like with Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune is going through some changes.
This past year, it was announced that host Pat Sajak will finally be stepping away from the wheel to make room for the new host, Ryan Seacrest, which led to Seacrest saying, “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.” However, it’s becoming increasingly likely that this will never happen.
Vanna White is Absent From ‘Wheel of Fortune’
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It was recently announced that Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White will not be appearing on the show for a week due to her contracting COVID. Instead, she will be replaced by Teacher of the Year recipient Bridgette Donald-Blue, who is attending the show as a part of Wheel‘s “Teachers Week” block.
This will mark the first time White has been absent from the game show over 30 years. She had previously taken leaves of absence three times: when her boyfriend tragically died in a plane crash in 1986, when she was on her honeymoon in 1991, and another time in 1991 when she had a cold. However, there is a decent chance that this temporary absence could result in a permanent removal.
Will She Return?
Despite Vanna White being involved with the show for over 40 years, she has not gained the full respect she deserves. Currently, White is involved in tense contract negotiations in order to continue the show with higher pay. It is believed by some that producers are using the temporary replacement as an intimidation tactic in order to get White to resign for less money than she’s demanding.
Truly, Vanna White should be receiving the same amount of money as Pat Sajak or Ryan Seacrest. Instead, she is estimated to be making five times less than her current co-host. If the negotiations are successful, it will be her first pay raise in 18 years. That being said, this isn’t the only way White has been disrespected.
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While Ryan Seacrest is incredibly charming and has proven to be an excellent host on multiple occasions, the Wheel of Fortune hosting gig should have gone to White. Not only is her name synonymous with the game show, but she has previously shown that she is more than capable of hosting, both in the now-canceled daytime version of the show and the standard version in 2019 when Pat Sajak was recovering from surgery.
In the end, it’s just as hard to imagine Wheel of Fortune without Vanna White as it is without Pat Sajak. White is an icon and deserves the respect and pay that comes with it.
Do you think Vanna White should be replaced? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!