Vanna White Thanks Bob Barker For Introducing Her to the 'Game Show World' After His Death
Matthew Perez Vanna White credits the late Bob Barker with her introduction into the world of game shows. The legendary Wheel of Fortune presenter took to Instagram over the weekend to honor Barker in the wake of his death at the age of 99.
Sharing an epic throwback photo of herself appearing on Barker's show, The Price Is Right, White, 66, wrote on Instagram, "When I moved to LA in 1980, I was on Price Is Right and met Bob Barker. Thank you Bob for introducing me to the game show world! We will miss you."
Over the weekend, Barker's publicist Roger Neal confirmed to ET that the veteran TV personality had died.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World's Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us," Neal said in a statement to ET.
Barker died of natural causes Saturday morning at his home in Los Angeles.
He was survived by his girlfriend of 40 years, Nancy Burnet, who said in a statement, "I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally. We were great friends over these 40 years. He will be missed."
Prior to his romance with Burnet, Barker was married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Gideon, for 35 years. Gideon tragically died of lung cancer in 1981. The couple had no children and Barker never remarried.
As for White, she has appeared in her role on Wheel of Fortune since 1983. Earlier this year, it was announced that Wheel of Fortune host, Pat Sajak, was retiring after 41 seasons.
In the wake of Sajak's announcement, Puck News claimed that White hasn't had a pay raise in nearly two decades. According to the outlet, White hired an "aggressive new lawyer" to get her a raise amid ongoing negotiations for her to continue to stay beyond when her deal ends at the end of the 2023-24 season. Per the outlet, Sajak is making $15 million a year, while White takes home a fifth of that.
Shortly thereafter, TMZ reported that, amid contract negotiations, White threatened to walk if she does not get at least half of Sajak's salary. The outlet claimed that Sony is not on board with White's demands, calling the negotiations "very difficult."
Amid the uncertainty surrounding White, Sajak's replacement has already been announced, with Ryan Seacrest set to take over the role. Watch the video below for more on the game show.
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