‘Wheel of Fortune’: Why Some People Think Vanna White’s Brief Stint as Host Should Never End

Vanna White is hosting this week’s episodes of Wheel of Fortune solo for the first time in her 37 years on the show, and some fans are hoping that White’s time running the show will become more of a regular occurrence.

“She should’ve had countless opportunities to host before this,” one Twitter user wrote. Another tweeted, “Fire Sajak 2020.”

“Let Vana continue hosting, Pat can turn letters when he gets back,” another fan wrote.

A fourth tweet read, “She’s the best one to do it…It’s where she should be.”

White is filling in for the show’s usual host, Pat Sajak, as he recovers from emergency surgery to correct a blocked intestine. She will continue to host the show solo for the next two weeks, then another week in January following a string of pre-taped episodes over the holidays hosted by Sajak.

The 62-year-old’s first episode as host aired on Monday night, and she was joined by Minnie Mouse, who took over White’s usual job of spinning the letters on the puzzle board. On Tuesday’s episode, it was Mickey Mouse who spun the letters.

Wheel of Fortune premiered in 1975 with host Chuck Woolery, and Sajak took over the position in December 1981. White joined him the next year and the two have been working together ever since. Monday marked White’s first time hosting a full episode, though she and Sajak had previously switched positions for one round when Sajak was battling laryngitis.

“I was probably the most nervous — and excited at the same time — to be able to fill in for Pat while he was away,” White told Us Weekly on Tuesday. “But I’m proud to say that he is healthy and back at work.”

“I have never even thought of hosting the show. Never crossed my mind,” she added. “But obviously, I stepped in, took one for the team to fill in for him because I’m very familiar with the show after all these years. And our executive producer thought I was the perfect person to do that in his absence. So it was good. It was different. It was fun. But I’m glad he’s back. … I learned that I was very uncomfortable doing it and agreeing to do it because it was just so out of my comfort zone, but I learned that I could step up to the plate if I had to.”

Photo Credit: Getty / Eric McCandless