Mar 29, 2017 Just weeks after Vanna White turned 60-years-old, the Wheel of Fortune host is getting candid about her past appearance in a Playboy issue. When Vanna was young, she was new to Hollywood and had. Vanna White (left) and Pat Sajak of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Shawn Ehlers/WireImage. The 63-year-old works hard to stay looking great for the popular game show, now in its unbelievable 45th year, thirty-seven of those with White at the board. The moment Vanna White knew she had to drop some pounds.
Are you a fan of game shows? If you’ve ever sat down to watch an episode of Wheel of Fortune, then you’ll know who Vanna White is. The star has been part of the show for over 35 years. That’s longer than most programs have ever been on TV. Vanna hosts the show alongside Pat Sajak, where she reveals the letters guessed by the contestants. To some people at home, it may look like an easy job, but it requires a lot of personality and an amazing amount of patience. There aren’t many people that could do the job quite like Vanna, and that’s why the nation has fallen in love with her.
Is there more about Vanna’s life that you wish you knew? It’s natural for people to want to find out more about someone’s life when they’re a big fan of them. Vanna has been in the spotlight for so many years, but she’s not often talked about in the media. Part of the reason for that is because she’s not the type of celebrity you usually see plastered on the cover of magazines. However, that doesn’t mean that the star lives a quiet life. Far from it.
There are many things about Vanna’s life that people might not expect. If you thought you knew the Wheel of Fortune hostess pretty well, what you’re about to read may surprise you.
Vanna White has been on our screens for years as an essential part of Wheel of Fortune. However, while she may be a household name now, finding fame didn’t come easy for Vanna. She only had $1000 on her when she left Myrtle Beach to start a career in L.A. In Hollywood, that doesn’t amount to much money. To earn a wage, she waited tables, hoping that her big break would come. However, it was several years before she found her way onto Wheel of Fortune. During that time, Vanna had to return home to care for her sick mother, but she later returned to L.A. with a new lease of life.
Thankfully, in 1982, Vanna was chosen as a replacement for Susan Stafford on the game show Wheel of Fortune. The rest, as they say, is history. Since getting her TV breakthrough, Vanna has appeared in more than 6,600 episodes… and she’s never worn the same outfit twice. That’s right; the TV star is not one for wearing repeats. She picks out her outfits every few weeks from a selection of more than 50 ensembles. Despite the stylish choices she always goes for, the clothes are a world away from what she’s used to at home. When not in the public eye, Vanna enjoys throwing on some jeans and a sweater. Who knew she was so relatable?
Vanna’s love life may not be talked about as much as some people in the spotlight, but it’s been pretty eventful. One of her most high-profile romances was with the soap opera star and Chippendales dancer John Gibson. The pair were due to marry, but in 1986, tragedy struck when Gibson was involved in a plane crash. Vanna was devastated that the man she planned to spend the rest of her life with was so cruelly taken from her. Thankfully, she found a way to move on after the loss.
Vanna is now in a relationship with businessman John Donaldson, but before him, there were several other romances. The biggest of these was George Santo Pietro, a restaurant owner who she married in 1990. The pair were together for 12 years, during which time they had two kids – Nicholas and Gigi. Vanna’s first pregnancy was revealed in a special puzzle on Wheel of Fortune, where the answer was “Vanna’s pregnant.” However, not long after the episode was filmed, the TV star sadly miscarried.
Vanna White has developed a wholesome image after decades on Wheel of Fortune. She wasn’t quite so innocent back when she was looking for work, though. Vanna took several risqué pictures that found their way into Playboy magazine following her casting on the show. These could have destroyed her career, but everyone was incredibly supportive. Her bosses stood by her, something that the star was incredibly grateful for. She’d never felt good about the photo shoot, and would have been horrified if it had cost her the job.
Of course, that wasn’t all that Vanna had done before joining Wheel of Fortune. It turns out that the star has always had an affinity for game shows, as she once appeared on an episode of The Price is Right. Back then, she was just a contestant, and she didn’t progress anywhere. In fact, the host Bob Barker even accused Vanna of repeatedly checking herself out in the monitors. She’s assured that that’s not what she was doing, and was instead trying to get answers from a friend.
Whether she was checking her appearance in the monitor or not, the TV star has come a long way. Although she might not have advanced in The Price is Right, she’s since proved that she’s got plenty of smarts. Vanna is actively involved with thinking up the puzzles used on Wheel of Fortune. She enjoys doing crossword puzzles when she’s not working, which has been a big help behind the scenes. If you ever thought that Vanna was just there to show the letters, you were wrong.
Crosswords aren’t all that the TV star does in her free time. Vanna is also a big fan of crocheting, something that she learned from her grandmother when she was younger. She enjoys creating handmade gifts, and even made her children blankets to take them home in when they were born. Her love of crocheting has led Vanna to make her own line of yarn, proceeds from which go to a children’s charity at St. Jude’s Research Hospital. More than $1 million has since been donated to this charity.
Vanna White is an incredibly busy woman. When she’s not filming Wheel of Fortune, doing crosswords or crocheting, she‘s working a second job. The star has revealed that she enjoys buying houses, renovating them, and then selling them on for a profit. It’s become a popular side business for many people recently. It’s so popular that Vanna is struggling to find new houses to “flip.” We’re sure that she’s not in desperate need of money, especially given she’s been working on TV for over 35 years.
Actually, we know that Vanna isn’t low on funds, because she earns $8 million a year just from appearing on Wheel of Fortune. The star’s total net worth is an eye-watering $140 million, which is a staggering amount for someone whose main job is working as a game show host. Vanna has been fortunate that Wheel of Fortune continues to be popular with audiences, even after so many years on TV. We’re glad that the show continues to be a huge success, especially as it keeps Vanna on our screens.
What Happened To Vanna White's Husband
Being on Wheel of Fortune has done more than provided Vanna with a steady income. Since being cast on the game show, the star has managed to find small roles on other TV series. She featured in episodes of sitcoms like Married… with Children, Gimme a Break! and The King of Queens throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s and early ‘00s. Just last year, Vanna also had a minor role on comedy Fresh Off the Boat where she played a fictionalized version of herself.
While more than 35 years on Wheel of Fortune is Vanna’s biggest achievement, there are other accolades that the star has received during her lengthy career. The most notable of these is the Guinness World Record that she set back in 1992. Vanna was awarded the title of “Television’s most frequent clapper,” a record which now stands at more than 3.9 million claps. That would mean that she claps over 600 times every episode. Her hands must be sore after filming.
Despite all she does, Vanna still manages to fit in some downtime every so often. What does she do with it? She spends it with cats. Vanna is a huge fan of felines, whether they’re hers or not. She loves taking photos of any cats she sees on her travels, although her pet Stella will always hold the biggest place in her heart. Vanna’s co-star Pat Sajak has teased her about her love of animals, but she pays him no mind. She’ll happily be known as a cat lady.
Vanna always comes across so happy and friendly on TV, but she’s not someone to mess with. Samsung found that out the hard way when they used her likeness in a 1988 ad. The star didn’t appreciate them using her fame to sell their products, and she ended up suing the company. Who came out on top? Vanna, of course. She received $400,000 for winning the case. Samsung’s insinuation that she would be replaced by a robot in 2012 never came true, either.
If you envy Vanna’s amazing style, then you’re not alone. But while her fashion choice on the show may be pretty incredible, there’s something else about Vanna that we’re incredibly jealous of – her smile. Her teeth look so perfect, and it gives the star one amazing smile. However, that hasn’t always been the case. When she was younger, Vanna had to wear braces to sort her teeth out. She also allegedly uses whitening procedures to keep stains at bay, although she’s not one to have implants or veneers.
Vanna has experienced immense popularity thanks to her role on Wheel of Fortune. At one time, the nation seemed to be in love with the star, a period of time which was known as “Vannamania.” People were obsessed with her, and it led to magazine covers, fragrances, and even a book deal. It wasn’t just viewers at home that were in love with her either. Nelly and Weird Al Yankovic both referenced her in their respective songs, “Ride Wit Me” and “Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White.”
After 35 years on the same show, you’d think that Vanna would want to move onto something new. However, the star is perfectly happy just where she is. She’s never felt the need to try anything different, because she enjoys every day that she spends on the show. In her eyes, there’s nothing better than going to work and giving deserving people money. We can’t imagine anyone else ever taking Vanna’s spot, so we’re glad she’s stayed loyal to the show for so long.
A lot of work goes into filming Wheel of Fortune. Multiple episodes of the show are taped in one day, and that can take its toll on the hosts. Whenever they had some downtime, Vanna and Pat used to allegedly escape to a Mexican restaurant near the studio for a drink or two. What harm can a couple of margaritas do in the middle of a workday? Although it didn’t happen often, the two would sometimes apparently drink too much and return to filming a little happier than normal.
While the two co-hosts would never do that now, drinking together helped them to build an unbreakable bond. You’d hope after so many years working together that Vanna and Pat would enjoy each other’s company. The pair like each other so much, though, that when one retires, the other plans on going too. Their departure could potentially spell the end for Wheel of Fortune, but hopefully, that day is a long way off yet. We hate the thought of this incredible duo leaving our screens forever.
Vanna White Children
When you’ve filmed more than 6600 episodes, it’s understandable to make a mistake every now and again. Vanna has done a great job of not messing up, but there was one incident where she turned around the wrong letter. The puzzle had to be scrapped, but luckily she hasn’t had any repeat performances. That was back when Vanna used to have to physically turn the letters. Now, it’s all computerized. The updated technology means that a whole week’s worth of shows is filmed in one day. How times have changed.