According to a recent story, Vanna White, the renowned game show legend, has reportedly agreed to a pay raise for her work on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. While she is still in talks to replace Pat Sajak on the show, it is still unknown how much she will be paid to be a regular on Wheel of Fortune.
The negotiated deal specifically covers her participation in the 13-episode spinoff Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which features 27 celebrities. The deal is said to be worth $100,000 per episode and was reportedly negotiated through her attorney Bryan Freedman, who also represents celebrities such as Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly. That sum is far less than the reported $400,000 Sajak, then 76, was paid for the show’s first season.
Since White apparently hadn’t earned a promotion in 18 years, the arrangement represented a large gain over her previous employment. Discussions about her compensation for the flagship show Wheel of Fortune, which she helped make popular since its launch in 1982, have hit a snag. White asked for half of Sajak’s $15 million a year, even though he now makes only $3 million, roughly a fifth of his salary. Her potential $400,000 weekly Celebrity Wheel of Fortune compensation cut is still subject to ongoing negotiations.
While negotiations regarding White’s future participation in the original game show have been concluded, the $100,000 per episode for the spinoff has not yet been decided. At the end of the upcoming season, Sajak will retire and Ryan Seacrest, who earns a staggering $28 million a year, will take over as host.
According to previous reports, White, who took over as host on an occasional basis in 2019 after serving on the show’s board for a decade, feels betrayed by the circumstances. She accepted Freedman’s help in seeking higher wages, but the ongoing writers’ strike temporarily halted negotiations.
Attempts by a third-party mediator to assess the significance of Sajak and White’s responsibility in the program were similarly rejected by Sony, the studio that produces Wheel of Fortune. The studio’s position appears to be that Sajak’s compensation at the end of his 48-year tenure had already reached an unreasonable level, making the $15 million benchmark meaningless for the ongoing negotiations.
White received a less-than-enthusiastic response during Sajak’s retirement announcement and Seacrest’s quick replacement, prompting her to suggest that the show’s producers thought she was “replaceable” and lacked respect for her. As a result of the given circumstance, she is “disappointed” in the decision-making process.
Sources close to White have warned that unless Sony takes its role seriously, negotiations could get “ugly” as they progress. Her lawyer, Freedman, who is known for mediating disputes between stars and television networks, has been adamant in arguing for higher pay on her behalf.
While “Jeopardy!”, a similarly popular game show, is currently in its 39th season, it is expected to end at the end of July 2023. However, the upcoming season has not yet been determined.
Female talent, even those with decades of dedicated service like White, can face challenges in achieving pay parity with their male counterparts. This scenario serves as a reminder that gender equality efforts must continue to address disparities in various aspects of the entertainment world.
As the story unfolds, fans and industry insiders eagerly await updates on the negotiations and potential solutions. Vanna White’s contributions to “Wheel of Fortune” left an indelible mark on the show’s legacy, and her fans remain hopeful that her role and dedication will be properly recognized. It remains to be seen whether the negotiations will lead to a satisfactory outcome for all parties involved.