Why Vanna White is Absent from "Wheel of Fortune" This Week

 

Why Vanna White is Absent from "Wheel of Fortune" This Week

In the wake of the recent announcement about Pat Sajak's forthcoming departure from his longstanding role as the host of the beloved game show "Wheel of Fortune," fans tuning in this week may have noticed the absence of Vanna White. However, rest assured, Vanna White's temporary absence from this week's episodes is not indicative of a permanent change.

Vanna White missed a day of filming back in August due to her battle with COVID-19, resulting in her absence from five episodes of the show. Addressing her absence at the start of Monday's episode, Sajak mentioned, "You'll notice Vanna is not here, and I have to say that Ms. White has tested positive for COVID. That's the bad news. The good news is I talked to her just a little while ago and she feels fine. She has a little sniffle. But she tested positive, and that's the way it goes, so she will not be with us here this week."

Taking over White's iconic letter-turning duties from October 2nd to October 6th is Bridgette Donald-Blue, the 2023 California Teacher of the Year recipient. This choice is particularly fitting as the show is celebrating Teacher's Week. Due to logistical constraints, the Teacher's Week episodes, which had already been filmed over the summer, could not be rescheduled. However, subsequent episodes scheduled for the next day, unrelated to Teacher's Week, were rescheduled to allow Vanna White sufficient time to recover.

Vanna White's absence from the show is a rare occurrence, with her last miss in 1991, as reported by TVLine. Meanwhile, Pat Sajak had previously announced his retirement from hosting duties in June, marking the end of season 41, which began last month. Reflecting on his tenure, he stated, "It's been a wonderful ride."

Ryan Seacrest was subsequently announced as the new host of "Wheel of Fortune" and expressed his excitement, saying, "I can't wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White."

In a recent development, Vanna White extended her contract, securing her presence on "Wheel of Fortune" through the 2025-26 season. This move came after extensive negotiations in which White sought her first pay raise in 18 years. Prior to the new contract, she reportedly earned $3 million annually, a fraction of Sajak's salary. It is now believed that White received a "significant salary increase" with the extension, according to Deadline.

Ryan Seacrest has reassured fans that there won't be any major shakeups to the show when he takes over, stating, "With this game show, it's such a success and has been for generations. You don't mess with it, just don't mess with it. Just get out of the way, say 'Good evening,' and let's play."