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‘Wheel of Fortune’ Bosses Want to ‘Lock’ in Host Ryan Seacrest, Salary Trouble Brewing for Vanna White
Ryan Seacrest continues to kill it in the ratings for Wheel of Fortune, as a set source exclusively reveals to Closer how show honchos are desperate to tie him to a new mega deal that will see him locked in for another five years – further dwarfing Vanna White’s way-lower salary, even if it puts her nose out of joint.
“Ryan has more than proven himself as a worthy successor to Pat [Sajak] and more importantly, as somebody who can bring new fans into the Wheel franchise,” the insider explains of the notorious TV and radio host. “His numbers are holding up and that’s triggering a renegotiation as Sony TV looks to lock Ryan in for more than just his initial deal.”
The source reveals that Vanna “is not a part of Ryan’s renegotiation at all” and negotiated her current deal “around the same time Pat decided to step down from the syndicated version of the show.”
Both Ryan, 49, and Vanna, 67, bring strengths to the game show. While Vanna is the “heart of Wheel of Fortune in a lot of ways,” the American Idol host “is the one with the leverage” and has his sights set on becoming “one of the highest-paid game show hosts in history because of the results he’s delivered so far.”
“For the time being, Vanna is staying with the show but the suddenly increased viewership is enough to make her question the deal she’s been under,” the insider dishes. “She’s going to have a front-row seat watching Ryan get a giant raise and a long-term commitment from the studio. Everybody expects that she’ll follow suit and ask for more money sooner rather than later.”
Pat, 78, hosted the show for 41 seasons from 1981 to 2024 before he stepped down. Vanna was by his side since 1982 as the letter-turner. In 2023 — shortly after Pat announced his departure — Vanna requested to renegotiate her approximate $3 million per year Wheel of Fortune salary after not receiving a pay raise in nearly 18 years.
It’s unclear how much Vanna’s salary increased after her negotiation with Wheel of Fortune. However, she signed a deal to stay on the show through 2026.
“I’m just so happy that I have signed for two more years,” Vanna told People in October 2023. “I have this next year with Pat, and then I have two years after that, so I will be part of Wheel of Fortune, at least through 2026.”
Ryan, for his part, stepped in to fill Pat’s shoes as the Wheel of Fortune host in September after signing a lucrative deal “through the early 2030s,” according to The New York Times. The Atlanta native earned a whopping $28 million for the deal, a source told Radar Online in June 2023.
The notorious host hit the ground running during the season 42 premiere, earning the highest season premiere ratings in nine years with a total of 9.63 million viewers. Ryan’s entire debut week was just as successful, bringing in a 4.88 household rating, the best debut week viewership in five years. Now, he’s walking around the set like a boss — and he may even be able to call the shots on whether Vanna has a future on the show.
“The incredible numbers speak for themselves. If he wants to bring a younger, more modern hostess he probably can do that even if Vanna has done a deal,” a second source exclusively told Closer in October. “The pressure is on to keep the numbers up and what Ryan’s brilliant at is flogging people around him to do his bidding.”
Source No. 2 further explained that Ryan can “do what he wants” if “numbers are high” and “if he wants to push Vanna out, it’s possible he’ll get the greenlight,” source No. 2 continued. “It’s no secret it annoys him that she’s been sneaking off for lunches with Pat Sajak. He’s going to act charming but ultimately people know he’s as ruthless as they come.”
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