For the first time in its 37-year history, Vanna White took over Wheel of Fortune hosting duties on Monday night.
The beloved letter-turner is temporarily replacing host Pat Sajak while he takes a medical hiatus after having emergency surgery for a blocked intestine in November. Minnie Mouse, meanwhile, turned the letters in place of White — naturally.
Episodes featuring White as host began airing on Monday, and will go on for two weeks. CBS will then air two weeks of shows Sajak taped prior to his surgery. Following those, White will host once again for one more week kicking off the new year with a “special guest.”
Ahead of her first episode, White tweeted that she was “excited and nervous.”
In an interview with The New York Times , White explained, “Normally I just stand there and I turn my letters, and I’m just happy as can be not having to worry about anything else, but here I am controlling the game. So logistically, it was much harder. But I know every aspect of the game, which helped so much.”
Meanwhile, Sajak is recovering well. In November, post-surgery, he tweeted, “I’m so grateful for all the good wishes during my recent illness. Happy to say that the worst has passed, and I’ll be out of the hospital in a day or two, then back to work (unless @TheVannaWhite has completely taken over!)”
Would that really be the worst thing?
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
