Vanna White is sticking around “Wheel of Fortune” a bit longer, so saying goodbye to her co-host Pat Sajak will be tough once he retires in 2024.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 41 years,” White, 66, said during a pre-taped interview on “Good Morning America,” which aired on Friday. “I think of Pat as family and always will.”
“I know everything about him. I know when he walks in, when he’s walking up the stairs,” she added. “If he’s in a good mood or a bad mood.”
White first appeared on the ABC game show alongside Sajak, 77, on December 13, 1982. After more than four decades, Sajak announced in June that he would be exiting the series.
“We called ourselves Ken and Barbie,” White told “GMA.”
“I mean, we’re not quite that today. But Ken and Barbie go together and always have. Peanut butter and jelly go together. Pat and Vanna go together.”
White was rightfully taken aback when Sajak revealed to her that he was ready to bow out. However, she’s just not quite ready to do the same.
“When Pat told me he was going to retire, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m not sure that I’m ready to retire,’” she recalled. “So, when I thought about it and thought about it… and I just wasn’t ready to retire.”
She added: “I love my job. I love being here.”
Ryan Seacrest is set to take over hosting duties — and he will also serve as a consulting producer on the show.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement in June. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
“Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease,” he continued. “I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”
Since Sajak’s news, White’s signed on for two more years through the 2026 season. According to TMZ, White got a “substantial pay increase” with her deal.
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