Vanna White at the center as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ executives consider major changes

Wheel of Fortune, which is one of the longest-running game shows, may be preparing for one of its most surprising changes in decades, as speculation is around its long-term host, Vanna White, being removed from the franchise if she demands more money for her pay. 

Vanna's role as co-host has become a central point of discussion in contract talks with the executives, who are now considering whether to keep her as the host or make changes as her two-year contract is up for renewal after this season. 

Vanna White may be replaced as the co-host of Wheel of Fortune if "she pushes for more"

Some reports suggest that during the transition from Pat Sajak to Ryan Seacrest, there were discussions about possibly reducing Vanna's presence on the show.

An insider source told the Daily Mail,

"The big change was from Pat to Ryan, and for a moment, execs were considering getting rid of Vanna, but in the next negotiations, if Vanna stays on the same page, then they will likely offer a few more years at the same rate. They are happy to keep her around, but if she pushes for more, then they might start thinking about a replacement."

68-year-old Vanna White has been the co-host of the Wheel of Fortune franchise since 1982 and received a significant increase in her pay for the 2025-2026 season after almost 18 years without a pay raise.

Previously, she earned $3 million yearly, reflecting a substantial difference from Pat Sajak's $15 million yearly salary. 

An insider told the Daily Mail earlier that,

"Vanna knows what she is working with and knows she doesn’t have that much leverage. But she’s currently having her agents and lawyers deal with it before any type of public griping happens."

A Closer Weekly source said in December 2024, pointing out that Vanna should have a pay raise as the viewership boomed after Seacrest took over the co-host position.

"For the time being, Vanna is staying with the show, but the suddenly increased viewership is enough to make her question the deal she’s been under.

She’s going to have a front-row seat watching Ryan get a giant raise and a long-term commitment from the studio. Everybody expects that she’ll follow suit and ask for more money sooner rather than later."

Pat Sajak's daughter, Maggie, who is the social media correspondent of Wheel of Fortune, is the apparent heir to the co-host position, as Vanna is already aware of.

While there is no rivalry, it does put pressure on Vanna's contract negotiations as Maggie is set to take over the co-host position after Vanna's retirement from the Wheel of Fortune franchise.

Vanna told E! News in October 2023 about Maggie,

"I think she’s a good replacement if I can’t be there for some reason. She’s been around it her whole life, so I think she can fill in for me for sure. She's precious, she's beautiful, she's very good. I think she learned a lot from her father because he's such a good interviewer. I think she’s good for our show."

Vanna has expressed feeling that her chemistry with Ryan Seacrest isn't as natural as it was with Pat Sajak.

She mentioned that working with Ryan feels a bit forced, and she doesn't want to continue if it doesn't feel right.

There were also rumours of Vanna stepping away from the franchise after her contract ends in 2026, getting a retirement, but there is no official confirmation about it.

As the viewership was the highest in the premiere episode, it reveals that the pair of Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest is loved by the audience; therefore, there's a chance that she may not be replaced.

However, it would be interesting to witness whether makers decide to go with the audience choice and renew Vanna's contract on her terms or replace her with a new personality.

Stay tuned for more updates.