“Wheel of Fortune” fans will notice a large part of the show missing this fall when new episodes debut.
Cohost Vanna White will be absent from upcoming “Teacher’s Week” episodes as she was ill during the taping, according to Yahoo.
White and host Pat Sajak have been on the show since it started in 1983, a span of nearly 8,000 episodes over 40 years. The yearly run of episodes features teachers from across the nation.
Stepping in to replace White was California’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, Bridgette Donald-Blue. Tapings beyond the “Teacher’s Week” run were rescheduled until White was feeling better.
While illness was the reported reason for White’s absence, she is also involved in ongoing contract negotiations to remain on the show. The talks came to light in the media after Sajak announced the upcoming 41st season would be his last and Ryan Seacrest was announced as his replacement.
White’s future is not up in the air for continuing to help host “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” however. A deal was reportedly reached. Her negotiations for the main, syndicated version of the game show have stalled due to the WGA Writers Strike.