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Vanna White Shares Shocking Secret About Her ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Schedule: ‘You Could Feel Bad for Me’
Vanna White revealed that filming Wheel of Fortune actually doesn’t take up so much of her time. The letter-turner recently appeared on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show where she made a shocking confession about the game show’s filming schedule.
“We film about 34 days a year,” Vanna, 68, told Elvis Duran and cohost Nate Marino. “That’s it. But [we film] six shows a day. Come on … You could feel bad for me.”
“I do not feel sorry for you one bit,” Elvis, 60, said. “That sounds like a great job.”
“So weird. You have 331 days off a year?” Nate asked Vanna, to which she replied, “Yes, I guess so.”
“And no one deserves it more than you. You’re just the best,” Elvis told the game show icon.
Vanna has been cohosting the show since 1982. Longtime host Pat Sajak marked his final episode of the show in June 2024. Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties on Wheel of Fortune in September 2024.
“I think our chemistry is good,” Vanna said of working with Ryan, 50, during an appearance on CBS Sunday Mornings. “I had no idea what to expect when I’m used to one person for so long. I was very scared, but he’s doing a great job.”
“I’ve known Ryan for probably 20 years,” she added. “But in the past couple of months, we’ve done some traveling together for the show, and we got to know each other a little better, too.”
While Pat, 78, left the show, Vanna signed a contract extension to keep her on through the 2025-2026 broadcast season.
“This is such great news,” Ryan said during an appearance on Sunday Today. “Vanna has been such a staple on that show and in our living rooms for so many years. I’ve been very excited to work with her but now that it’s official I can say, ‘Congratulations, Vanna.’ I can’t wait.'”
“It’s super important to have Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune,” he continued. “She’s beloved by this country and the viewers and I can’t even imagine standing next to her on that set being able to say, ‘OK, let’s get to it.’ It’s great news. I’m very happy to hear it and very happy I get to work with her.”
Despite Wheel of Fortune ushering in a new era with a new host, Vanna and Pat still remain close.
“Pat decided to retire. I saw him a few weeks ago. He looks happy. He looks great. Ryan took over, and he’s doing a great job,” she said during the radio show appearance. “He told me, ‘No one could ever replace Pat Sajak. I’m just here to fill in.’”
Vanna also has a great relationship with Ryan, and the American Idol host revealed just how thoughtful Vanna is behind the scenes of Wheel of Fortune.
“She’s so super generous and sweet and kind,” he told People in December 2024. “She even brought me — because I was saying, I drink very strong black coffee and my teeth, sometimes you can see it — she brought me white strips. She brought me white strips. She went to the store the next day. She brought me white strips.”
“She is an institution, an icon,” Ryan said. “She’s amazing. She’s everything you think Vanna White will be when you meet her!”
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