Fans Defend Vanna White as 'Wheel of Fortune' Gears Up for Pat Sajak's Last Season
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As ABC gears up for the final season of Wheel of Fortune hosted by Pat Sajak before his retirement, viewers are fearful of having longtime letter-turned Vanna White leave the show as well.
When the official social media pages for the game show shared a season 41 premiere date announcement, fans vocalized their support towards White in the Instagram comments.
"Probably the last season since Ryan Seacrest will tank it and you wont give Vanna a raise 😢," a fan wrote, in reference to White still negotiating her contract, which is said to be expiring in 2024. Another fan echoed those sentiments, with staunch support towards the TV personality. "Great job you two!!! She needs a raise already!!! What are you waiting for??? Do it!!! 💓💓💓🙌🙌🙌," they wrote.
A different commenter questioned, "Does Vanna get a pay raise this season?"
The announcement on Twitter was also met with support towards White, with a fan begging, "PLEASE KEEP HER AND HIM OK."
In June, a source with knowledge of the Wheel of Fortune behind the scenes told Puck News that executives at Sony had suggested eliminating White's role following Sajak's retirement announcement. They allegedly believed that with a contemporary star like Seacrest entering the show as the new host, White wouldn't be as necessary anymore to bring in viewers.
Other sources told the publication that White hadn't received a raise in nearly 20 years, instead only getting bonuses.
In a different report, Puck News shared that after White contracted Covid in the midst of shooting the upcoming season, she was replaced with Bridgette Donald-Blue for a string of episodes airing in October.
Next: What Pat Sajak's 'Wheel of Fortune' Retirement Means for Vanna White
