Vanna White Gives Update on Pat Sajak Following Emergency Surgery

She’s had to step in for Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak while he’s been out of commission, but Vanna White is now saying her longtime pal is doing a lot better these days.

“He’s feeling great! He is back to work,” the 62-year-old exclusively told Closer Weekly. “He’s already shot 12 shows and we’ll be shooting again this Thursday and Friday. So he’s back to normal, I’m happy to say!” The former actress took over for the iconic game show host, with her first stint airing on December 9. And no surprise here, but their hosting approaches are quite different.

“I was just myself. Pat is a very funny guy and I certainly don’t have his sense of humor,” Vanna explained. “So I basically just wanted to get through the shows and I wanted the contestants to feel comfortable and just kind of wanted to lead them the right way through the show. So I really have nothing to compare it to. I was just kind of going by the seam of my pants. What you see is what you get!”

Vanna White Pat Sajak — Patrick Lewis/Starpix/Shutterstock

“I just — you know. It was what it was. I couldn’t copy Pat because truthfully, I’m up there on puzzle board thinking about the letters,” Vanna — who has been named the Godmother of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Carnival Panorama — added. “I’m not paying attention to what he’s saying or doing up there.”

After being Pat’s righthand for years, Vanna did recently admit that she has received nothing but positive and kind words about her hosting abilities. “You know, I’m getting some great feedback,” she told Closer exclusively. “It was very hard for me to watch because I don’t know, I think people don’t like to see themselves in pictures or to see themselves in videos or whatever, so it was kind of hard to watch because I was very nervous doing the show.”

“But I did it and again, the feedback has been great,” she added. “And the fans have been very supportive so that makes me feel good.”

While it’s great to hear that Pat is back on the healthy route, it has also been such a pleasure seeing Vanna host!

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