Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White has opened up about how she almost retired from the game show after her co-host, Pat Sajak, retired. Since she had co-hosted the show with him for over 40 years, she recalled thinking, “Maybe I should go with him.”
Vanna White worked with Pat Sajak for so long, she wanted to leave Wheel of Fortune with him
In an interview with E! News, Vanna White was asked if she ever thought of retiring from Wheel of Fortune, also known simply as the Wheel.
“When Pat [Sajak] decided that he was going to retire, I had to make a decision,” the host recalled to the outlet. “Working with someone for that long, I feel like I should maybe go with him, right? Because starting with someone new after 40 years… I had mixed feelings about it.”
However, White decided otherwise. “I thought hard, and I thought, ‘You know what? I’m just not ready to retire yet. I’m having fun, I feel good, and I feel healthy.’ So, at this point, it’s one year at a time,” the L.A. Law actress admitted.
The veteran then shared her plans for when she eventually retires, even though that may be far in the future. “I don’t think there’s anything else on TV that I would rather do after being on the Wheel for so long. Honestly, I think I just want to play golf when I retire.”
Wheel of Fortune first premiered as a daytime show that aired on NBC in 1975. After its success, a nighttime syndicated version with the same name was created, debuting on September 19, 1983. As an ongoing program, it has become one of the longest-running game shows in television history with over 8,200 episodes.
Both Vanna White and Pat Sajak have served as the hosts together for decades. After hosting it for 40 years, Sajak retired in 2024. Following his departure, television host Ryan Seacrest took over the role from the September 9, 2024, episode.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on Comingsoon.
