Vanna White ponders Wheel of Fortune future ahead of Pat Sajak’s exit

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Vanna White has admitted that she considered retiring after her decades-long Wheel of Fortune partner Pat Sajak revealed his plans to walk away from the series last year.

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Sajak, 77, shocked Wheel fans when he revealed last June that he will be stepping down as host of the game show this year, with Ryan Seacrest set to replace him in the fall.

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In a new interview with TV Insider, White, 67, says that she still loves her job, but acknowledges she contemplated exiting alongside her longtime screen companion.

“When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire too. But I’m not ready,” she said, reflecting on her reaction after the news broke of Sajak’s impending departure.

But instead of leaving, White, who’s been turning letters on the show since 1982, inked a contract extension to remain with the series through its 2025-2026 season.

She went on to tell the online outlet that once her two years are up, she’ll make a decision on her future. “We’ll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job,” she said.

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Sajak’s final Wheel of Fortune episode is set to air June 7. Ahead of his departure, White told TV Insider that she is feeling a mix of emotions.

“I can’t describe how I feel,” she said. “I feel happy for him. I can’t imagine doing the show without him after 41 years. I sum it up as (like) reading a good book. It always has to end. This has been the best book I’ve ever read.”

White went on to add that the pair “will be friends forever.”

“I don’t think there’s anything (he and I) haven’t talked about in 8,000 shows. We’ve travelled around the world together. We’ve watched our kids grow up together. We’ve thrown pies in each other’s faces. He’s so funny! I love him like a brother. Gosh, I’ve known him longer than I’ve known anybody,” she said.

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White also thanked Sajak for helping her conquer her first-day jitters when she started the job back in 1982.

“I remember being extremely nervous. It was hard for me to even talk. My mouth was just shaking out of nerves because it was, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I’m on a TV show,’” she recalled. “(He said), ‘Calm down, it’s going to be OK.’ I was just a little old girl from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, wanting to be on TV from the time I was 10. He made me feel comfortable in front of a camera. He was my teacher.”

 Still, after filming those early episodes, White confessed that she didn’t think her entire working life was going to be spent on Wheel of Fortune.

“I never would have thought that this would turn into a 40-plus-year job,” she said. “I’m happy that I am myself (on the show). I don’t play a character. I am who I am. It’s a fun show that everybody of all ages enjoys. We give money away!”

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Back in 2022, White said it was “depressing” thinking about her time on the show coming to an end.

“I don’t want to think about that,” White said in an interview with PEOPLE. “I mean, we’re a team. That’s depressing. I don’t even want to think about it.”

Looking ahead, White told the publication that she couldn’t envision a time where the pair wouldn’t be a part of the series. “I just visualize us just being there. I can’t think beyond that,” she said.

“I can’t imagine. Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna. We’re like Ken and Barbie, you know?” she explained. “We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters.”

White went on to call the long-running gig a dream come true.

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“Who still says they love their job after 40 years? Me! I really do. It’s a fun show. Everybody watches and enjoys it and it changes people’s lives and it makes people happy. So it’s a great job.”

Sajak stunned TV fans last June when he announced that his upcoming season would be his last.

“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak said in a statement posted to his X account last June. “It’s been a wonderful ride.”

And Sajak’s final episodes are proving to be eventful. Last week, a contestant went viral after he tried to solve an answer in the “Phrase” category.

With the puzzle board revealing the letters “_ _ _ _ I _ T _ E B _ _ T!,” Tavaris Williams immediately buzzed in blurting out his response.

“Right in the butt!” he proudly exclaimed.

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Later in the broadcast, when Sajak was introducing the contestants, he said, “Well, Tavaris, you’ve already made an impression on us.”

“I apologize, Pat. I was a little excited,” Williams replied.

“We’ll figure out a way to handle that tastefully,” Sajak joked, as the crowd laughed. “I have no idea what that’ll be.”

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