As Wheel of Fortune fans prepare for Pat Sajak’s retirement next year, they're probably wondering about Vanna White as well. After a few long months, the longtime co-host landed a new contract to remain on the game show, but her future beyond that remains to be seen. While it’s hard to imagine seeing Wheel without both Sajak and White, fans have already started suggesting Pat's daughter, Maggie, as a potential replacement for the latter. White was asked about that and shared a thoughtful response.
Maggie Sajak has some experience on Wheel of Fortune already. She’s the show’s social media correspondent and is often seen at the end of each episode. She even took over for Vanna White in 2020, who was, in turn, filling in for her dad while he was undergoing surgery. Maggie also turned the letters on the Celebrity spinoff earlier this year when White was a contestant. With all of that in mind, the veteran TV personality told E! News that the 28-year-old is more than capable of permanently stepping up to the plate if she’s ever needed:
I think she's a good replacement if I can't be there for some reason. She's been around it her whole life, so I think she can fill in for me for sure.
Considering Maggie Sajak practically grew up on the set of Wheel of Fortune and is now part of it, it would be nice to see the show keep it in the family. The fact that the OG hostess thinks she’d be a good replacement says a lot about her work, and you love to see her show that kind of support. And even though she has experience, Maggie could receive guidance from the show's two co-hosts. And based on the comments the media personality further shared with the news outlet, Pat may have already been helpful in that regard:
She's precious, she's beautiful, she's very good. I think she learned a lot from her father because he's such a good interviewer.
Of course, as of right now, the show is still a ways off from needing a new letter-turner, given the new contract. Ironically enough, Vanna White did just miss some time from the show. (White didn’t appear during Teacher’s Week due to being out with COVID.) One element that needs to be considered here, though, is whether or not the younger Sajak herself would actually be interested in taking over White's gig if the opportunity was presented.
While Vanna White is sticking around for now, Ryan Seacrest is set to replace Pat Sajak after his retirement next year. Fans have already been speaking their thoughts on Seacrest, and they're generally mixed. However, the former Live! co-host has quite a lot of experience, so he does bring that to the table. Many would argue that both White and Sajak feel somewhat irreplaceable. Still, the notion of Maggie succeeding the former is, at the very least, interesting.
While the gears of speculation continue to turn in regard to Wheel of Fortune's future, check your local listings and watch the show in syndication weekly as part of the 2023 TV schedule.
