VANNA BETRAYED!
Seacrest crowned Wheel’s host as loyal letter-turner waited in the wings
SPURNED beauty Vanna White was left spinning her wheels after sly Ryan Seacrest weaseled his way into Pat Sajak’s gig hosting Wheel of Fortune — but sources say the leggy letter-turner is poised to launch an allout war that could spell big trouble for her bosses! Insiders say Vanna, 66, was ready to take the game show’s top job after Sajak was given the bum’s rush following endless gaffes and creepy antics that made him a lightning rod.
But Seacrest, 48, swooped in at the last minute te and won the job after quitting as Kelly Ripa’s co-host on the morning TV gabfest Live! “The whole situation is fraught with drama,” spills an insider close to the statuesque blonde. “She put up with all of Pat’s weirdness for 39 long years and people figured she’d earned a shot at the big gig.”
Amid the chaos, sources indicate Vanna hasn’t had a raise in a staggering 18 years, earning a comparatively paltry $5 million salary while Sajak raked in three times that amount! Making matters worse, there are rumors Ryan may lobby to replace Vanna with a younger sidekick.
Sources sa say Vanna has law lawyered up to protec p protect herself as
Ryan prepares to take control when 76-year-old
Pat leaves at the end of next season — but her mouthpiece insists all the talk is untrue. “Ryan’s like the cat that ate the canary,” says another source. “He’s landed an incredibly prestigious gig and showed the whole world — and Kelly Ripa — that he can be a bigger star without her!” But Ryan’s rise may have come at Vanna’s expense. “A lot of people are shocked Vanna has been overlooked and apparently underpaid for so long,” reveals the insider. “No wonder she’s calling in the big guns to negotiate on her behalf. She needs to protect herself and get what’s fair, even if it means a messy fight!”
Another tipster adds: “Vanna’s bosses are panicking now. They clearly underestimated her and how much support she has both on and off the set!”