Vanna White opened up about her initial fears of working with Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune after Pat Sajak’s retirement.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, White admitted, “I was very scared” about adjusting to a new host after her long-standing partnership with Sajak.
However, she praised Seacrest, saying, “I think our chemistry is good… He’s doing a great job.”
“I’ve known Ryan for probably 20 years,” White said. “But in the past couple of months, we’ve done some travelling together for the show, and we got to know each other a little better, too.”
After hosting Wheel of Fortune for 41 years, Pat Sajak announced his departure from the show in June 2023.
“Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” Sajak wrote in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) at the time.
“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”
Following Pat Sajak’s departure, Seacrest was announced as the new host of Wheel of Fortune, inking a multi-year deal.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak. I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them,” Seacrest said in a statement after the announcement.
Wheel of Fortune’s White has extended her stay on the show, signing a two-year deal to remain as co-host until the end of the 2025-26 season.