Vanna White and Pat Sajak were one of those inseparable pairs on Wheel of Fortune. They were TV's peanut butter and jelly, White in the elegant garbs and Sajak's luxurious voice hosting the affairs. Lasting together on a show like that for over 40 years seemingly guarantees a lifelong connection. But when Pat retired, Vanna remained with the show, ushering in the Ryan Seacrest for Wheel of Fortune. Now that they don't work together all the time, are her and Sajak still close?
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Recently, White spoke with TV Insider to promote her reunion with Pat Sajak for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. There, she reveals that the game show host is still a prominent part of her life despite not working together as much. "I still see him! We're friends," Vanna says, adding that they still come together for dinners.
Vanna White Opens Up About Working With Pat Sajak Again
Additionally, White explains how familiar and at ease she feels when Sajak works his magic on Wheel of Fortune. Conversely, when he left, everything felt uncertain and depressing. "It's like slipping into something very comfortable. I mean that in the best possible way. It's just comfortable," she says about working with Pat. "[When he left] It was sad for me in a way because I didn't know what the future held. It was ending an unbelievable era!"
As for newcomer Ryan Seacrest, Vanna didn't feel too uncomfortable when the American Idol host came on board. Personally, it still feels like he's merely a guest on the show rather than inheriting Wheel of Fortune. But she applauds him doing his due diligence and not arrogantly feeling like he's the second coming. "Ryan did his homework. He rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed," Vanna explains. "He also said to me, 'I am not replacing Pat Sajak because no one could - ever. I am just stepping in.' That made me feel good because, as Ryan said, he's just stepping in - he's not trying to prove anything."
