Vanna White Hosts ‘Wheel of Fortune’ for the First Time in 37 Years

By BreAnna Bell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Vanna White, who’s been a staple on “” for almost 40 years, stepped in to host the long-running game show for the first time, as host Pat Sajak underwent emergency surgery.

“Tonight’s my first night of hosting Wheel! I’m excited and nervous! Stay tuned!” White tweeted on Monday

Minnie Mouse, meanwhile, filled in for her on the puzzleboard.

White — scheduled to host for a third week in early January — had a small hiccup on the show on Monday, mistaking a $500 spot for a bankrupt one.

“Oh no! I’m looking at the wrong arrow,” she said. “How do you do this show?”

Sajak underwent emergency surgery for a blocked intestine, leaving him down for an undisclosed amount of time. He said on Twitter that he should be back to work shortly. “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 of two, then back to work (unless
@TheVannaWhite
has completely taken over!),” he tweeted . 

White responded with a few warm words of encouragement, saying, “Wheel of Fortune without
@patsajak
is like a word without vowels. I’ll fill in the blanks until you return. Rest up and we’ll be solving puzzles in no time. (Don’t worry, your job is safe! Well, pretty safe.)”

Sajak has been the host of “Wheel of Fortune” for 36 years. The two celebrated 7,000 episodes in May and renewed their contracts through 2022 in October of 2018.