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.
Meet the Korean Couple, 61 & 56, Who Started Working Out Together and Proved That a Healthy Couple Stays Together
Many people have a usual idea of what it looks like to get older. We imagine droopy skin, a weaker body, and wrinkles as common signs of aging. However, there is a Korean couple who are defying these negative stereotypes about old age.
He’s 61 and she’s 56 years old.
The couple from Seoul, known as @okdong_fit on Instagram, mainly shares posts about staying fit and their daily life. This type of content usually doesn’t include older people.
However, despite their ages of 61 and 56, this couple embraced the challenge and embarked on a fitness journey together. Now, they are the most amazing and inspiring senior couple you’ll ever come across!
In a video narrated by their daughter Grace, she shared the story of her parents’ fitness journey. Grace mentioned that her father got motivated by a popular trend in South Korea, where people would exercise for six months and share their body changes on the internet.
Their life before they started working out.
In an Instagram video Grace shares that her mom was overweight but at the same time, her dad was extremely skinny due to being an amateur kickboxer. Her mother started swimming a year after she gave birth to her son and she swam for the next five years.
After Grace’s dad quit kickboxing he started going out to play soccer every week, so he has always been active. But this activity caused him a knee problem which resulted in him not being able to walk more than 30 minutes at a time.
When he decided to join this trend, his wife decided to join him as well. Grace explained that her parents have always been a team, and this journey was no different.
The couple began exercising and eating a healthy diet, and after six months, they took new profile pictures. However, even after achieving their initial goal, they decided to keep going and push themselves further.
Apart from their workout routines, the senior couple also shares updates about their everyday life. They post about going on dates, shopping for fashionable athletic wear, and even share their diet plans. The duo truly does it all and does it with enthusiasm!
The gym is their typical date spot.
Many of us wouldn’t even think of the gym as a date spot. However, they regularly go and have gym dates either in the evening or during the day.
The couple’s life is nothing we would expect from a couple of their age. They are just purely awesome, and they also share their joyful life in many perspectives.
Their children hold an equal place of importance in their hearts.
The couple lives far away from their children. Their daughter and eldest son reside in America. However, distance doesn’t stop them from getting together.
Every summer or winter, the whole family goes on a trip. Even though it’s a short journey, the time they spend together as a family is more precious to them than anything else.
The Beatles sang a song called “All you need is love.” But in real life, arguments, spending time alone, and disagreements are what really make relationships stronger and more interesting. When you have your first fight, you might feel upset and start questioning your partner. However, psychologists say that going through these challenges helps couples understand each other better and ultimately become stronger.
Preview photo credit okdong_fit / Instagram, okdong_fit / Instagram
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