Vanna White is finally back at the puzzle board after she was absent from Wheel of Fortune for a week, Entertainment Weekly reports.
The longtime co-host missed a week of episodes during filming in August after she tested positive for COVID-19.
Pat Sajak kicked off Teacher’s Week with the bad news, saying at the time, “You’ll notice Vanna is not here, and I have to say that Ms. White has tested positive for COVID.”
“The good news is I talked to her just a little while ago and she feels fine. She has a little sniffle,” he added. “But she tested positive and that’s the way it goes, so she will not be with us here this week.”
Though she wasn’t there to turn the letters for Teacher’s Week, 2023 California Teacher of the Year Bridgette Donald-Blue filled in for her at the puzzle board.
Donald-Blue expressed that she was “tremendously excited” to be filling in for White that week: “It was a great opportunity to champion the cause of education, the work that teachers do every day,” she explained. “Wheel of Fortune, you’re the best. Thank you.”
According to TVLine, White has reportedly not missed an episode since 1991.
Considering her future on the show was up in the air after she spent months negotiating for her first raise in 18 years, we’re happy to see her back on the show at all.
White extended her contract for two more years through the 2025-26 season, meaning she’ll be right by Ryan Seacrest‘s side when he takes over for Sajak after he retires in 2024. Though the terms of her new contract have not been disclosed, it allegedly includes a pay raise for her role on Wheel of Fortune. She also received a salary increase for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
The show recently began Season 41, but has already been renewed through Season 45, which means we’ll be seeing a lot of this new dream team soon.
Seacrest shared that he looked forward to working with White on the show. He recently said he hoped “for nothing more than to be able to walk out on that stage and host with her.”
Wheel of Fortune airs on weeknights at 7:30/6:30c. Check out your local listings on the Wheel of Fortune website.