Ryan Seacrest Is Replacing Pat Sajak as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host

Given how long Sajak and White have worked together, many viewers have wondered over the years whether or not the pair was ever romantically involved. It’s a question that White finally answered. Here’s a brief history of the hosts’ time on the show and their unique relationship.
Joining ‘Wheel of Fortune’
Pat Sajak joined Wheel of Fortune in December of 1981. A year later, Vanna White was also made part of the cast. She made it to the final round of casting over more than 200 other women who hoped to become the future letter flipper. Ultimately, White won out over Summer Bartholomew and Vicki McCarty, the other top choices for the role of hostess.

After testing each of the women on real episodes of the show, the producer decided that White was the one who activated the letters best of all the candidates. She quickly became very popular among viewers, particularly young adults. Many of her fans were interested in her dazzling show wardrobe. The phenomenon, known as “Vannamania,” swept through the United States, earning the new star numerous additional jobs outside of Wheel of Fortune.
Nearly 40 years together
For the next 40 years, White and Sajak would work intimately together as host and hostess of Wheel of Fortune. While they generally stuck to the same roles throughout this time, there were a few instances where they would swap, most notably in November 1996 when Sajak had laryngitis.

Despite their many years together, in 2020 Sajak admitted that he initially didn’t want White to be cast as the hostess. He said, “Not that she wasn’t lovely and wonderful and personable and all that. But she was the most nervous, by far, of any of them.”
White obviously proved him wrong and has done a wonderful job. It helped that the pair seems to have such incredible chemistry together. It’s this very chemistry which has caused many fans to question just what kind of relationship White and Sajak had outside of filming.
Friends or more?
It is well known that White and Sajak get along well – extremely well, in fact. According to White herself, they rarely disagree on anything except whether ketchup should be put on a hot dog. Yet despite their closeness, White has emphasized that they really are just best friends and there is nothing romantic going on between them. The closest the two have come to being involved was when they played a prank on their audience.

“Years and years ago, we did an April Fool’s joke,” White recalled. “I don’t know that we said we were married, but we said something about being together, and we received toasters…” Sajak added later that it took years for people to stop sending the “married couple” Crockpots.
So although the renowned Wheel of Fortune stars have been together, in a work sense, for longer than most couples, they are not, and have never been, in a romantic relationship.
Nearly 20 years without a raise?
Soon after Sajak announced his retirement, fans were stunned to learn that Vanna White has not gotten a pay raise in 18 years. This surprising revelation comes from Puck reporter Matthew Belloni, who says that White, 66, has hired an aggressive lawyer to negotiate a raise as her current deal concludes at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Puck’s report states that White currently earns $3 million annually, while Sajak earns five times more than that. While some argue that Sajak is the host while White is a co-host responsible only for revealing letters on the board, Puck asserts that White engages in significantly more publicity for the show than Sajak. Sony, the show’s production company, declined to comment on Puck’s findings.
Whoopi Goldberg from The View expressed interest in taking over Sajak’s role, and several other notable names, including Ryan Seacrest and Sajak’s daughter Maggie, were mentioned as potential candidates.
Seacrest was named the new host of ‘Wheel’
The New York Times and other media outlets reported on June 27 that Ryan Seacrest will take over as the host of Wheel of Fortune. The news comes just two weeks after Sajak’s announcement. Seacrest, 48, is a talk show veteran himself, having hosted and produced many other programs including American Idol and Live with Kelly and Ryan.

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “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 will also act as a consulting producer on the show.

Dolores Catania mentioned that she needs to start using Ozempic again because she thinks she’s gained about 20 pounds over the summer. She said she’s going to get back on it quickly.

Dolores Catania is about to get her next Ozempic dose. She told Page Six at the MTV Video Music Awards that she’s taking her shot the next day and mentioned she’s overdue for it but hasn’t stopped using it.

Dolores Catania, 53, said she gained a few pounds this summer because of her travels. She visited South Africa for conservation work and Lisbon, Portugal for fun.

She mentioned that she’s probably 20 pounds heavier now and needs to start using Ozempic again right away.

Dolores Catania supports her decision to use Ozempic for weight loss, saying that many celebrities do the same, whether openly or privately.

She feels good using it and mentioned that she’s researched it thoroughly and spoken to many doctors, none of whom have said it’s bad for her. She also shared that her boyfriend, Paul Connell, has had great results with Ozempic. He lost 50 pounds and no longer needs blood pressure medication.

Dolores Catania was one of the first celebrities to openly say she uses Ozempic for weight loss, but she told Page Six in April 2023 that she does it for medical reasons.

She explained that she’s dealing with menopause, thyroid issues, and inflammation, which make it hard for her to lose weight. Despite working out and eating well, she was still gaining weight due to these issues.

While Catania has had good results with Ozempic, some people have warned about possible side effects.

Sharon Osbourne has said she’s lost too much weight from using Ozempic and now struggles to gain weight back.

Recently, Lottie Moss, Kate Moss’s younger sister, had to go to the hospital after getting very dehydrated and having a seizure because she took too much of the drug.

A recent study also found that Ozempic has been connected to 162 deaths in the US.