On Tuesday (June 27), Ryan Seacrest was officially announced as the replacement for Pat Sajak, longtime host of the game show Wheel of Fortune, who is retiring.
While Seacrest shared his excitement via a statement posted to social media, many fans questioned why Sajak’s co-host Vanna White was not upgraded instead.
“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 shared in his statement.
He continued, “I can’t wait to continue the tradition of spinning the wheel and working alongside the great Vanna White.”
READ MORE: Why Is Pat Sajak Retiring From ‘Wheel of Fortune’?
“That’s weird… why not Vanna?” one fan questioned on Twitter in response to the announcement.
Another fan complained that White got “screwed over.”
One person suggested on Twitter, “They should have Vanna White host the show and bring on some himbo to turn the letters.”
Another fan pitched the idea of White and Seacrest swapping roles.
Someone else pointed out that White has dedicated more than 30 years of her career to the show and deserves the spot for her time.
Someone else tweeted, “Vanna White needs back pay commensurate w/ Sajak’s raises and oh, yeah, she should be the host.”
According to Entertainment Tonight, White has not received a pay raise in over 18 years.
Apparently, White has hired an “aggressive new lawyer” to help her negotiate her contract in order for her to stay on the show after the 2023-2024 season is over. The outlet reported that Sajak makes five times as much as White.
“When we started @WheelofFortune who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later? I couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage with you for all these years with one more to come. Cheers to you, @patsajak!” White tweeted after Sajak announced his retirement.