‘Wheel of Fortune’: Will Pat Sajak and Vanna White Remain as Hosts of ‘America’s Game’?
Pat Sajak and Vanna White have revealed if they will remain as host of “America’s Game” show, Wheel of Fortune. The future of the show that follows Jeopardy! in the weekday evening block of programming was in question as contract negotiations were pending for both Sajak and White. After the loss of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek to cancer in Nov. 2020, the stability of Wheel of Fortune became even more important. Will Pat Sajak and Vanna White remain with the letter-turning fan-favorite show?
Pat Sajak and Vanna White have hosted “Wheel of Fortune” since 1982
Sajak and White are the most recognizable hosts of Wheel of Fortune. They began their hosting gigs 39 years ago. Prior to that, the show was helmed by another face familiar to 1970s game show fans, Chuck Woolery. The name was Shopper’s Bazaar. The show incorporated Hangman-style puzzles and a roulette wheel. Talk show host and media personality Merv Griffin rebranded the idea under his production company and called it Wheel of Fortune.
In 1981, Griffin replaced Woolery with Sajak, who’d been a weatherman in Nashville and LA, and added White in 1982.
Will Pat Sajak and Vanna White remain as hosts of “Wheel of Fortune?”
As reported by Deadline, Sajak and White will remain as hosts of Wheel of Fortune until their contracts end in 2024. As part of the new deal, Sajak will also serve as consulting producer on Wheel along with his hosting duties.
Sajak and White will remain with the show through its 2023-2024 TV season.
Along with hosting the nighttime show, the twosome has hosted a daytime version of the show and also host the celebrity version of the game show.
Big changes are ahead for the new season
Jim Thornton, the Wheel of Fortune announcer, will sit at a new podium on stage as he introduces Sajak and White. A new, modernized theme song will debut as well as a new set set.
There will be more money up for grabs for contestants in the upcoming season. An $850 monetary prize is replacing the “Free Play” wedge. A $4,000 bonus will be added to the winnings of contestants who solve all three puzzles in the show’s “Triple Toss-Up Round.” The minimum amount contestants can win on the Bonus Wheel will now be $39,000 in honor of the years the show has been in syndication.
Sajak’s daughter Maggie will join the show as a Social Correspondent on the show’s social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and the show’s social media page reported Deadline.
Wheel of Fortune will return for its 39th season in syndication beginning Sept. 13.
