'Wheel of Fortune' Fans, There's a Big Change Coming to Vanna White's Role This Season

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Vanna White has been a staple on Wheel of Fortune since her 1982 debut. But come this fall, it looks like fans will be missing her presence on the show for a short period of time.

While the longtime co-host reportedly continues working out a new contract amid Pat Sajak's impending exit, an update was just revealed about her appearance on the show later this year. According to multiple outlets, Vanna will be absent for a total of five episodes during the series' upcoming 2023-2024 season.

As for the reason behind Vanna's unexpected absence, Fox News reported on August 11 that the TV personality came down with an undisclosed illness and couldn't attend the filming of Wheel of Fortune's annual "Teacher's Week." Because the daylong taping couldn't be reworked due to the teachers' schedules, the game show asked Bridgette Donald-Blue, a 2023 California Teacher of the Year, to step in and take over Vanna's role during her time away from cameras.

While getting sick is a very understandable reason for not appearing on Wheel of Fortune, this actually marks a first in Vanna's TV career. According to KTLA, this is the first time in three decades that she's missed the taping of an episode. What's more, she's only been away from Wheel of Fortune three other times since her first appearance four decades ago.

Despite Vanna's temporary absence from Wheel of Fortune, the series is gearing up for a monumental season.

Along with Pat's final episodes taping sometime this summer, it was announced that Ryan Seacrest will take over the longtime co-host's role starting in September 2024. In addition to the hosting news, Deadline announced in July that Vanna will return to host another season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and it will involve "a significant salary increase."

Here's to hoping Vanna is already feeling better!

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