Vanna White Upset ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Producers Didn’t Ask Her To Host The Show After Pat Sajak’s Surprise Retirement: “Lack Of Respect”

While Wheel of Fortune prides itself on its years of fun and friendly competition, Vanna White certainly does not see her livelihood as a game.

The 66-year-old co-host, who has been part of WOF since the show’s inception in January 1975, has suffered from navigating contract negotiations since the announcement that Ryan Seacrest succeeding Pat Sajak as the iconic game show’s new host.

An insider told The Daily Mail that “she was disappointed that they didn’t give her more of a chance to take over Pat’s job.”

Seacrest was officially selected to be the new host a mere two weeks after Sajak announced his retirement, and will assume the role in 2024.

While the source expressed that White has “nothing but respect for Ryan and will be happy to work with him… it just shows a lack of respect in her eyes that they have for her.”

“She wants to be with the show for as long as she wants to be on the show, on her terms,” they continued. “She believes she deserves it.”

The source described White’s negotiations as “a major uphill battle, especially when money is involved,” and noted that “she sees the writing on the wall that they think she is replaceable.”

According to TMZ, White, who has not received a raise to her $3 million salary in the last 18 years, has been pushing for at least half of Sajak’s salary, which was a whopping $15 million.

For White, the start of the seemingly new WOF era apparently had not started with Sajak’s surprise retirement, but with the retirement of executive producer Harry Friedman in 2019.

“Things got a little bit different with the show for Pat and Vanna during COVID, as the atmosphere changed on set once [Harry] left the show and retired,” the insider shared, explaining that “it just wasn’t the same vibe.”

“Nobody dislikes anyone, it is just different, and the leverage that Pat and Vanna once had is not there anymore,” they continued.

 The insider’s final note was that “Vanna is in it for the long haul … A year from now, if Vanna is gone from Wheel, it wasn’t her decision.”

While I’m tempted to quote Dance Moms‘ Abby Lee Miller and say “everyone’s replaceable,” it hurts to think that the incredibly harsh mantra could ever apply to our girl Vanna.

Wheel of Fortune airs on weeknights at 7:30/6:30c. Check your local listings for more information.