Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Coming to ABC with Pat Sajak and Vanna White Set to Host

The series will welcome celebrity contestants to spin the game show's famous wheel and solve word puzzles

Vanna White and Pat Sajak
Photo: Mike Pont/Getty Images

Celebrities are now going to have their chance to solve word puzzles on Wheel of Fortune!

ABC announced on Monday that the network has greenlit Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, which will welcome celebrity contestants to spin the game show's famous wheel and solve word puzzles. They will be playing for a chance to win up to $1 million, and all of the money won will be donated to the celebrity's charity of choice.

Hosted by Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the series is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Mike Richards — who is behind Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy! and The Price is Right — serves as executive producer.

Sajak, 74, and White, 63, have co-hosted Wheel of Fortune since the series premiered in 1983.

Over the summer, the longtime game show resumed production after making necessary social distancing changes to the set amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pat Sajak On His Plan to Become Sexiest Man Alive
Vana White and Pat Sajak. CBS

"Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are returning to the studio to tape episodes for the shows’ upcoming seasons," a studio spokesperson told PEOPLE. "The productions have protocols in place in accordance with current government guidelines to protect contestants, staff, crew, and talent from the spread of COVID-19."

"While some things may have changed behind the scenes and on the set to keep everyone safe, fans can expect to see the same Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! they have come to love when the season starts," the spokesperson added.

Wheel of Fortune now features a redesigned wheel to ensure that contestants are six feet apart, and the podiums in Jeopardy! were spaced out further than usual to ensure a safe amount of space between contestants and late host Alex Trebek.

Trebek died on Sunday at the age of 80 after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in March 2019.

Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex Trebek
Pat Sajak, Vanna White and Alex Trebek.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Sajak called Trebek's death a "tremendous loss."

"The death of Alex Trebek is a tremendous loss for his family, his friends, his co-workers and the millions of viewers who followed his long and illustrious career," he said. "It was an honor for me to be a part of his professional family for nearly 40 years. His strength and courage and grace during his recent health struggles inspired countless others. Alex was truly one of a kind."

White echoed Sajak in her own statement to PEOPLE. "I will cherish the many memories I have shared with Alex Trebek that date back well before either of our careers took off," she said. "I will always be in awe of the way he faced the battle he fought so valiantly and I'm devastated to lose my longtime friend."

White added, "My heart is with his family, friends, co-workers and fans. There will never be another Alex Trebek and he will truly be missed."

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