Wheel Of Fortune’s Vanna White could QUIT before her contract ends as she struggles to continue without beloved Pat Sajak – and ‘doesn’t jibe’ with new host Ryan Seacrest
Wheel Of Fortune stalwart Vanna White is finding it so difficult to carry on without her longtime co-star and leading man, Pat Sajak, that she’s quitting before her contract expires.
The legendary 67-year-old turned the tiles alongside Sajak, 77, for four decades until his recent retirement, and now cohosts the game show alongside his replacement, Ryan Seacrest.
But an insider told DailyMail.com that White is finding it so difficult to ‘jibe’ with the American Idol presenter, 49, that she is considering leaving the show before her two-year contract expires in 2026.
“Vanna is quitting the show when her contract is up, but there’s a part of her that wants to walk away sooner,” a show insider said. “It’s so hard to do this without Pat.
“She just doesn’t relate to Ryan the way she does Pat, and no one ever expected her to. There’s just no way she could do that.”
Beloved Wheel of Fortune favorite Vanna White is having a ‘tough’ time on the show following the departure of her co-host Pat Sajak, insiders claim
White, 67, signed a two-year deal to remain co-host of Wheel Of Fortune alongside Ryan Seacrest, 49, until 2026 following the recent departure of Sajak (pictured with Sajak)
They continued, “Vanna feels like she has put in her time. She has dedicated her entire life to this show and she has achieved an incredible feat while making a fortune.
‘She knows that the show needs to go in a different direction and appeal to a younger target group. She wants the show to go on.
“This will require a younger female host, someone who can be to Ryan what she was to Pat.”
In a recently released promo for Season 42 of Wheel Of Fortune, Sajak officially handed over hosting duties to Seacrest, emphasizing how fortunate he was to be working with White.
“You’ll never find a better job, and you’ll never find a better co-host,” he told Seacrest in the video featured on Variety.
White and Seacrest have already filmed two episodes of the upcoming season, which debuts in September.
This comes after White was embroiled in a contract dispute with Wheel of Fortune bosses over her salary when Sajak first announced he was quitting.
White was reportedly paid $3 million a year and hadn’t had a raise in 15 years, while Sajak took home a whopping $15 million, according to TMZ.
But sources claim White is struggling to ‘jibe’ with Seacrest, 49, (L)
Before Sajak left, White was embroiled in a dispute over her salary, as it was revealed she hadn’t had a raise in 18 years — and was making $12 million less than Sajak, 77, per year
American Idol host Seacrest has already filmed two episodes for season 42 with White
Salary talks came to an end after executives offered White a “substantial raise” to stay on for the 2025-2026 season.
“Wheel wants to make the transition between Pat and Ryan seamless and it would be great to have Vanna there,” a source told DailyMail.com at the time.
“However, they want her next contract to be her last, so there is a bit more maneuverability to change things in a few years as they look for her replacement.”
Sajak – who hosted 7,942 episodes of the 1982 nighttime edition of the series – announced his departure last June.
Following the shocking news, Seacrest confirmed he would be taking over the reins of the long-running game show.
Speaking of White, Seacrest shared E! News at the time: ‘Of course, next to Vanna, she is a legend. She is an icon. We spent some time shooting promos for next season, and she’s just so down to earth. She’s exactly what you’d expect.
“It’s just so exciting to think about being on that set. I’ve been watching the show for decades. I’m a fan of the show and the game is the star.’
White, pictured with Sajak, 77, in season 10, ‘wants to walk away’ sooner than 2026, when her contract expires, because she finds it ‘hard’ without him
The famous TV tandem’s time on the game show spanned nearly 8,000 episodes, with White breaking down in tears before their final show (pictured), which aired on ABC last week.
He reiterated his sentiments on his social media at the time, writing: “I am truly humbled to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak.
“I can say, along with the rest of America, that it has been a privilege and a pure joy to have Pat and Vanna on our television screens for forty years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
Seacrest ended his statement by saying he is optimistic about working with White.
“I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working with the great Vanna White.”
In an emotional video posted on YouTube Earlier this month, White spoke candidly about her 40 years working with Sajak.
“I don’t know how to put into words what the past 41 years have meant to me, but I’m going to try,” she said.
The clip featured a montage of the tandem’s work on the program, which has spanned approximately 8,000 episodes since White joined the show in 1982.
“When I first started, I was so green,” she said. “You’ve made me so comfortable and so confident, Pat – you’ve made me who I am, you really have.”
She also noted that she and Sajak were family friends off-camera before adding, “We laughed, we cried, we celebrated.” Oh god, what an incredible and unforgettable trip we had. And I loved every minute with you.”
She continued, “As this chapter of our lives comes to an end, I know you will still be close. You are like a brother to me, and I consider you a true lifelong friend whom I will always adore. I love you, Pat.’
The tribute concluded with a clip of White blowing a kiss and hugging her longtime colleague.
White is mother of two children with ex-husband George Santo Pietro: son Nikko, 29, and daughter Giovanna, 26; while Sajak is father to son Patrick, 33, and daughter Maggie, 29, with wife Lesly Brown, 59.
Maggie had auditioned for her father Pat’s spot as host, but the ABC network decided to go with veteran reality TV host Seacrest.
Sajak and White had an impressive performance together and cemented themselves as one of the most beloved game show couples on TV – even being recognized with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sajak got his start as host of the daytime series in 1981 and left that edition to host his own late night series in 1989. The daily edition was canceled in 1991.
He won three Daytime Emmys for the performance and in 2011 received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the TV chapter.
White was one of three replacements for former Wheel of Fortune hostess Susan Stafford, who left in October 1982 and became the permanent hostess just two months later in December.
Seacrest said in a social media post that he was “truly humbled” to be working with the “great Vanna White” when he announced his new gig a year ago
In the recently released promo video where Sajak officially handed the microphone to Seacrest, he thanked his fans, whom he called “family.”
“It has been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade, and I have always felt that with this privilege came a responsibility to keep this daily half hour a safe place for the family. “, fun, no social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing I hope, just a game,” he said.
“But gradually it became more than that,” Sajak continued, “a place where children learned their letters, where people from other countries honed their English skills, where families came together, along with friends and neighbors and entire generations. What an honor to be able to play even a small role in that. Thank you for letting me into your life.”
In addition to being the iconic co-host of Wheel of Fortune for the past four decades, White — a former Miss Georgia USA contestant in 1978 — has played small roles and appeared as herself in films and TV.