Vanna White Absent From ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Episodes Amid Contract Dispute
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Vanna White will reportedly be missing from Wheel of Fortune for the first time in over 30 years amid contract negotiations following host Pat Sajak‘s forthcoming retirement.
During Wheel of Fortune’s “Teachers Week” block filmed in late July, White is said to have caught COVID, Puck News reports. Instead of postponing shooting while White recuperated, show bosses are said to have used California-based “Teacher of the Year” recipient Bridgette Donald-Blue to fill in as letter turner. The episodes will likely air in October.
Bridgette Donald-Blue LinkedIn
The decision has come as White’s contract negotiations have heated up as she seeks her first salary increase in almost 20 years. Sources suggest the decision could be a “smart producing move, or a veiled message sent to White’s aggressive lawyers: Go ahead, push us harder.”
According to TMZ, White’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told Sony Pictures his client is looking for 50% of what [Pat] Sajak makes.
However, a source has told People that the previous report was “inaccurate,” including the claim that White accepted an offer of $100,000 per episode to continue the show’s Celebrity edition.
White has only been away from the show three times. The first in 1986 when predecessor Susan Stafford returned while White grieved the death of her boyfriend John Gibson after a tragic plane crash, again when Tricia Gist took over for White’s two-week honeymoon with George San Pietro in 1991; and Gist once more when White caught a cold the same year.
On two occasions, Sajak’s daughter Maggie has taken over White’s role at the letter board—initially in 2019 during her father’s surgery recovery and once more in 2023 for ABC’s primetime Celebrity edition of Wheel. However, even during these instances, White remained a significant part of the broadcast by hosting in 2019 and participating in the competition in 2023.
As previously noted, Sajak will be stepping down from his long-standing position as the host of Wheel at the conclusion of Season 41. Episodes featuring Ryan Seacrest as the new host are scheduled to air in September 2024.
Wheel of Fortune, Season 41 Premiere, Monday, September 11, Check your local listings
