On top of the fact that it’s Pat Sajak’s final season, this installation of Wheel of Fortune has already been an interesting one. A recent episode of the long-running game show included a contender for the worst guess in the show’s history, and Vanna White was absent from the October 2 episode. It was pretty weird to see the show without her, however, the longtime host explained why the letter-turner was gone.
Over the summer, the co-host got COVID. She missed Wheel of Fortune for the first time in over 30 years, and she couldn’t appear during “Teachers Week,” which aired this week. Episodes were initially filmed in July, and because of schedules and the school year starting, it couldn’t be postponed. Monday’s episode was the start of Teachers Week, and Sajak explained why White couldn’t be in attendance (via TV Insider):
I can’t even find my mark without her! You’ll notice Vanna is not here, and I have to say that Ms. White has tested positive for COVID. That’s the bad news. The good news is I talked to her just a little while ago, and she feels fine. She has a little sniffle, but she tested positive, and that’s the way it goes. So she will not be here with us this week.
While it was expected for Vanna White to be out, it was still odd to not see her revealing letters. Instead, taking her place was, fittingly, a teacher. Not just any teacher, however, California Teacher of the Year Bridgette Donald-Blue stepped in to take over. It does sound like this will be an all-week thing, so fans won't see White for the remaining episodes of Teachers Week.
Luckily, she should be back next week and reunited with Pat Sajak. It won’t be long until the duo is separated once again, though, when the longtime host officially leaves Wheel of Fortune next year. If Wheel is different without White, it’s going to be a whole lot different without Sajak. It’s hard to imagine the series without either of them, and while it’s nice knowing that White landed a new Wheel of Fortune contract, it’s unknown how much longer she'll stay with the show.
You could say that fans had been preparing for Vanna White’s exit since her future on Wheel was unknown for a while. People had already been thinking about White's replacement, pointing out that Pat Sajak’s daughter Maggie would be the perfect person to take over. However, White’s contract was finalized for at least a few more years, so it will be a while before we see someone else revealing the letters. Her absence during Teachers Week does show what the series could be like without her. I know it will take me a while to get used to her being gone if she decides to leave after her new contract is up. However, that's not something we need to worry about now, because she will be back on the show soon.
Vanna White will continue to be out for the remainder of the week as teachers continue competing on Wheel of Fortune as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Things will go back to normal next week, and the duo we all know and love will reunite until Sajak’s final episode of Wheel premieres in 2024.
