Vanna White and Pat Sajak presented TV shows Wheel of Fortune together since President Reagan was in office. So with Sajak’s announcement this month that he’ll be leaving the show next year, fans have to wonder if White will continue to shoot the letters.
Well the good news is she’s in negotiations to stay Wheel after Ryan Seacrest, who was named Sajak’s replacement, began his tenure. (Seacrest even said after the announcement that he was “looking forward” to working “alongside the great Vanna White.”) A source familiar with the matter also recounts People that Sony Pictures Television “would like to get her back”, contrary to an earlier report by Puck that her work might be removed.
That doesn’t mean White doesn’t want to play hardball. According to a report from TMZ, she wants her annual salary of $3 million more than doubled before she agrees to stay. A source told the outlet that the negotiations so far had been “very difficult”.
While White’s required salary might seem like a lot, consider that she’s only asking for at least half of what Sajak earns — a whopping $15 million a year, as long ago as 2016. He has further revealed this week that White had not received a raise in 18 years, and had hired a lawyer to negotiate a renewal of her contract, which expires just as Sajak leaves the role many believed which White herself would fill.
In her current negotiations, a TMZ source said, “She feels like this is a statement for all women.”
Representatives for White and the show did not immediately respond to Yahoo’s requests for comment.