40 Little-Known Facts About The Gorgeous Wheel Of Fortune Hostess Vanna White

Vanna White has been a fixture on our TV screens for the best part of four decades. But how much do you really know about the Wheel of Fortune hostess? Well, it turns out there’s a lot more to the much-loved star than spinning giant letters – as these 40 little-known secrets will prove.

40. She Made Her TV Debut On The Price Is Right

Wheel of Fortune isn’t the only iconic game show that White has graced with her presence. Yes, you may not know it, but the star actually made her TV debut on a 1980 episode of The Price is Right. After being picked from the audience to “come on down,” White sadly went home empty-handed. Don’t worry, though, she’s done pretty well for herself since then!

39. She’s An Ambassador For A Children’s Hospital

White undoubtedly believes in paying it forward. You need only look at the way she’s used her celebrity status to raise a significant amount of money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And that’s not all. The game show queen has handed over nearly $2 million of her own hard-earned cash, and she also pays regular visits to the Memphis facility.

38. She Successfully Sued Samsung Electronics

In 1993 Samsung Electronics learned that you mess with White at your peril. The star filed a lawsuit against the corporation after it released an advert containing a letter-spinning robot that looked eerily similar to the real-life hostess. In fact, White ended up taking Samsung all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court for violating her personal rights. And she was awarded just over $400,000 when it ruled in her favor.

37. She’s Worn Nearly 7,000 Dresses On Screen

Don’t ever expect White to appear in one of those “stars who re-wore the same outfit” lists. The game show icon has sported a different dress for each of the nearly-7,000 Wheel of Fortune episodes she’s taped since 1982. Yep, you read that correctly! And no, White sadly doesn’t get to take any of them home. But then again: does anyone really have enough room for that many dresses?

36. She Enjoys Crochet

Long before crocheting became in vogue, White liked nothing more than picking up a needle in her downtime. The star learned the craft as a youngster from her grandma and has passed on what she knows to her daughter, too. Plus, the hostess is so passionate about the hobby that she’s even created her own yarn line, Vanna’s Choice.

35. She Once Appeared In Playboy

In 1987 White found herself in the pages of Playboy magazine – even though she’d never actually modeled for the publication, that is. The scantily-clad photos that appeared had been taken by an independent photographer some years previously. Hugh Hefner later decided to capitalize on White’s Wheel of Fortune success by buying and publishing the “before they were famous” pics.

34. She Competed In The Miss Georgia Pageant

Several years before White landed the Wheel of Fortune gig that would launch her to national fame, she ventured into the crazy world of beauty pageanting. Yes, the gorgeous 20-something young woman competed in 1978’s annual Miss Georgia contest. But she unfortunately wasn’t crowned the winner.

33. She First Switched Places With Pat Sajak In 1996

In December 2019 White briefly took over as Wheel of Fortune host while Pat Sajak got over his surgery. But this wasn’t the first time that the star had moved to a different part of the studio. You may well remember that she took on the same role for a bonus round back in 1996. Sajak was again out of action at the time, as a throat infection had left him voiceless.

32. She Only Works Four Days Every Month

Although Wheel of Fortune appears on our screens every weekday, its filming is condensed into a very short timeframe. A month’s-worth of episodes are taped in just four days, in fact, leaving White and host Pat Sajak with plenty of downtime. It’s alright for some, eh?

31. She’s Had The Same Dress Size For 38 Years

In a 2021 interview with website Page Six, White explained why it’s so important for her to stay in shape. She said, “I do wardrobe fittings once a month, and for 38 years I’ve had to fit into those dresses because they’re sample sizes. So I’m afraid of getting to the studio one day and not being able to fit in those dresses.”

30. She’s A World Record-Holder

In 2013 White entered Guinness World Records for a rather extraordinary feat. According to the reference book, the Wheel of Fortune host has officially clapped her hands more than any other person in history. White was estimated to have racked up more than 3.4 million claps at the time thanks to her long-running game show stint, averaging just over 600 in each episode.

29. She Thought She’d Bombed Her Wheel Of Fortune Audition

White left her Wheel of Fortune audition in 1982 believing that she’d messed up her chances of fame. In 2007 she told the newspaper Grand Forks Herald, “My knees were shaking; my mouth was quivering; I could hardly talk.” Luckily, the show’s creator, Merv Griffin, could see through all of the nerves and offered her the gig, rather aptly on the day before Thanksgiving.

28. She Revealed Her Pregnancy News On Wheel Of Fortune

Here’s a novel way of telling the world that you’re expecting. In 1992 a Wheel of Fortune contestant gave the right answer of “Vanna’s Pregnant” for one of the hit show’s puzzles. This was the first time that the public had heard the news. But tragically, soon after this episode aired, White announced that she’d suffered a miscarriage.

27. She Was Adopted By Her Stepdad

White was actually christened Vanna Marie Rosich back in 1957. Her more familiar surname comes from her stepdad, Herbert Stackley White Jr., who adopted her as a two-year-old. The star’s biological father, Miguel Rosich, had left her mother, Joan, just a few months after she’d given birth.

26. She Once Turned The Wrong Letter Around

As you would expect, White gets to see the correct phrase for each Wheel of Fortune question before an episode starts taping. She needs to know which big block to turn around, after all. But there was one particular time when a forgetful White ended up spinning around the wrong one. And the puzzle had to be binned as a result. Whoops!

25. She’s Been Immortalized In Several Songs

Throughout her career, White has had the honor of being referenced in several songs. D.J. David Kolin was the first notable name to mention her on record with 1987’s “Vanna, Pick Me A Letter.” “Weird Al” Yankovic then followed suit a year later with “Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White.” And in 2000 Nelly mentioned the hostess in his party anthem “Ride wit Me.”

24. She Pipped A Friend To The Wheel Of Fortune Gig

In a slightly awkward turn of events, White’s friend Vicki Iovine also went for the Wheel of Fortune gig. But the show’s creator, Merv Griffin, apparently believed White had more of a natural bond with Pat Sajak. Everything worked out in the end, though, as Iovine went on to write and produce the hit TV series Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce.

23. Her First Film Took Nine Years To Release

White had probably forgotten all about her first film by the time it finally hit the screen. Gypsy Angels went direct to VHS in 1989 after having been shot nine years earlier. The decision was no doubt brought on by White’s game show fame. And people crushing on the star would have got to see a lot more of her in this movie, that’s for sure!

22. She Was Friends With Hugh Hefner

There was a time when the Wheel of Fortune hostess called Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner a friend. That all changed, of course, when he purchased and published photos of a semi-naked White without her consent. Unsurprisingly, the game show icon ended up filing a lawsuit against both Hefner and his publication for tainting her public profile, although she eventually decided to drop both cases.

21. She Helped Coin A New Phrase

White was so popular back in the mid-1980s that she even had a phenomenon named after her: “Vannamania.” It was basically how people put their obsession with her into words. We’re talking about a time when you couldn’t pass a newsstand without seeing her face, after all. But it wasn’t just the Wheel of Fortune that made White this popular. The star had a shopping channel range and perfume, too.

20. She’s Appeared In A Troma Film

Back in the 1980s, Troma was the go-to studio if you were after some unashamedly trashy B-movie horror. And one of its most successful releases of the decade just happened to star the future quiz show icon. Yep, White played Doris in Graduation Day – the 1981 slasher about a serial killer targeting a school’s athletics team.

19. Her Boyfriend Died In A Plane Crash

White was left grief-stricken in 1986 when her boyfriend lost his life in a plane crash. John Gibson died when the rental aircraft he was piloting burst into flames close to Van Nuys Airport. Earlier in the decade, Gibson had enjoyed a year-long stint in The Young and the Restless playing a stripper – a job he had also done in real life.

18. She Once Carried The Olympic Torch

Back in 1996 Wheel of Fortune was chosen as one of the sponsors for the Olympic Games in Atlanta. And as a result, White and host Pat Sajak were given one of the ultimate honors: they were both asked to hold the famous Olympic torch during its relay trip across America.

17. She First Pursued A Career In Fashion

White has always been one of the most stylish stars of daytime television. And that’s hardly surprising when you consider her background. Before leaving home for the bright lights of Los Angeles, the Wheel of Fortune hostess first took on a career in modeling. She also honed her sense of style at the Atlanta School of Fashion.

16. She Once Appeared In An Indecent Proposal Parody

In 1993 White guested on an episode of Married… with Children, which gender-reversed the storyline of box-office hit movie Indecent Proposal. She played Coco, who is one of Al Bundy’s considerably rich exes in the hit sitcom. And aping Robert Redford’s lothario, her character offered an obscene amount of money for the opportunity to get into bed with the notorious grouch.

15. She Put Her Career On Hold To Care For Her Sick Mother

White relocated to Los Angeles at the tail end of the 1970s to chase her acting dreams. But within the year, tragic circumstances forced her back to her South Carolina hometown. The star’s mother, Joan, had heartbreakingly been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, and White helped to nurse her until she passed away.

14. Wayne Gretzky’s Wife Played A Part In Her Early Career

Chances are that White would still be completely unknown if she hadn’t attended a taping of the TV variety series Dance Fever back in 1982. Why? Well, it was here that Janet Jones, the future wife of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, introduced White to a colleague of Wheel of Fortune creator, Merv Griffin. And the new contact encouraged the young star-in-the-making to audition for the quiz show. The rest is history!

13. She Once Worked As A Waitress

White had little more than $1,000 in her pocket when she moved from her South Carolina hometown to Los Angeles in the late 1970s. So, like every other unknown with Hollywood dreams, she had to take on a regular job to make ends meet. Yep, once upon a time, the quiz show hostess earned her cash not by spinning letters but by waiting tables.

12. She Performed On A Christmas Album

Turns out that White is something of a triple threat. As well as acting and spinning letters, the star also has an impressive set of pipes. White first displayed her singing talents when she lent her voice to Santa’s Last Ride in 1996. The festive storybook also featured Happy Days star Tom Bosley and music from Henry Mancini, Leslie Bricusse and John Williams.

11. She Published A Best-Selling Memoir

White had only been famous for five years when she decided to publish her memoir, Vanna Speaks. In a 1987 promotional interview with the Chicago Tribune newspaper, the hostess dismissed the argument that it was too early to be writing a life story. She said, “The book has given people an opportunity to get to know me. It shows that I’ve experienced the same things in life that you’ve experienced.”

10. She Has A Star On The Walk of Fame

You know you’ve made it when you have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. White was given the honor in 2006 in front of some of the quiz show world’s biggest names, too – from Wheel of Fortune creator, Merv Griffin, to the legendary Jeopardy! presenter Alex Trebek.

9. She’s Guested On Multiple Sitcoms

White has had plenty of chances to display her funny bones on TV over the years. In 1982 she guested on the short-lived Star of the Family and has since appeared in the likes of Gimme a Break!, 227, Just Shoot Me! and The King of Queens. Her last sitcom credit came in 2017 with Fresh off the Boat.

8. She Enjoys Flipping Houses

The letters on Wheel of Fortune aren’t the only things that White enjoys turning over. Yes, when she’s not busy crocheting, the star likes to spend her spare time buying into the property market. In 2018 the quiz show hostess told the website MarketWatch, “I’ve used my income to invest in some apartment buildings, and I like flipping houses.”

7. She was mentored by Christopher George

Renowned for his performances in TV drama series The Rat Patrol, Christopher George proved to be a valuable career advisor for White back when she was starting out. The actor had been a close friend of White’s mother, and so he looked out for the aspiring star when she moved to Los Angeles. As White recalls in her memoir, Vanna Speaks, George once warned, “You can’t get a job in this town lying on your back.”

6. She Often Used To Take Her Kids To The Wheel Of Fortune Set

White has two children from her 13-year marriage to George Santo Pietro, the restaurateur with whom she divorced in 2002. And the star often took son Nikko and daughter Gigi to her workplace to show them what mommy does. In fact, White has regularly uploaded throwback photos on social media of the siblings looking excited to be on Wheel of Fortune’s iconic set. Aww!

5. She’s Never Had A Fight With Pat Sajak

You’d expect two people who’ve worked together for nearly 40 years to have had the odd squabble. But White insists she’s never had an argument with Wheel of Fortune colleague Pat Sajak. In 2021 she told Page Six, “Maybe because we don’t see each other for two weeks at a time, and then we see each other for a couple of days, and then we don’t see each other.” We know what you’re thinking: perhaps that’s the secret to a happy marriage, too!

4. She Has An Interesting Heritage

White may have spent her entire life in the good ol’ United States of America. But her heritage has a slightly more international flavor. Thanks to her biological father, Miguel Rosich, she has Puerto Rican ancestry. Plus, the Wheel of Fortune star has roots in both Germany and Italy as well.

3. She Had A Cameo In The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

In 1994 White added the final part of Leslie Nielsen’s spoof trilogy, The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, to her list of acting credits. The star can be seen alongside “Weird Al” Yankovic – the man who once wrote a song about her – in the award ceremony scene. Her other film credits include Looker, Goddess of Love and Double Dragon.

2. She Appeared At WrestleMania IV

With Vannamania at its peak in 1988, White also aligned herself with a very different type of mania. That’s right: the quiz show hostess became an unlikely scene-stealer at WrestleMania IV after accepting an invitation to show up at the annual brawl. As well as offering her thoughts backstage, she also joined Bob Uecker in the ring while dressed in a sparkly leopard-print get-up.

1. She Wants To Stay On Wheel Of Fortune Forever

It will be a sad day for everyone when White eventually leaves Wheel of Fortune but especially for the hostess herself. In a 2018 chat with MarketWatch, the star revealed she’d be happy to keep spinning letters for the rest of her life. White said, “After I retire, I will probably do something philanthropic. If I could do it [work] forever, I would, because I do love my job.”