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After Decades on ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Cohost Vanna White Still Loves Word Games
Is it any surprise she’s a fan of Words with Friends, Wordle and crossword puzzles?
Vanna White returns for Season 6 of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” on Sept. 26.
CBS
She’s spent most of her professional career immersed in letters, but Wheel of Fortune cohost Vanna White, 68, has also tallied some impressive numbers of her own during her multi-decade run on the beloved game show. These include 43 years as cohost, more than 8,000 dresses worn and nearly 5 million claps (she holds the Guinness World Record for being the “most frequent clapper”).
And now she has her eye on another notable number: Season 6 of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The prime-time game show, which she cohosts with Ryan Seacrest, 50, premieres on Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET, ABC, streaming on Hulu the next day. In a video interview from the set of Wheel of Fortune, White talked with AARP about the best part of getting older, why she feels inspired by Dolly Parton, 79, and the game she plays with former longtime Wheel cohost Pat Sajak, 78, who retired from the show in 2024.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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As a teen, I remember watching Wheel of Fortune with my mom, both of us yelling out letters and competing to solve the puzzle first. What does it feel like to be a part of so many people’s lives?
Incredible. It really is. It’s been generations, 43 years. A lot goes on in 43 years. And I love hearing stories like you just told me. That’s what makes it all worthwhile to me. It’s just wonderful.
Did you ever imagine that you would be doing this for the rest of your life?
No. I remember sitting in the makeup chair shortly after I started, and I said to Pat, “I wonder where we’ll be in 10 years.” And look, over 40 years later! Crazy.
White first began working with Pat Sajak on “Wheel of Fortune” in 1982.
Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
What was your backup plan if this didn’t work out?
From the time I was in the third grade, I wanted to be on TV. And I just had that drive. And I said, “I’m going to do it.” And that’s just always been what I wanted to do.
Who did you look up to — any inspirations on TV?
Well, when I was in the third grade … I was watching this TV show called Rat Patrol. And my mother said to me, “That’s your uncle” [Christopher George, actually a close family friend]. And I thought, “I have an uncle on TV? I want to be on TV.” So that’s where it started. I also love Dolly Parton. I love what she represents — she’s always positive and just gives such a great vibe. She’s always been my idol.
Have you met her?
I met her briefly a long, long, long time ago but didn’t get a chance to talk with her. Just seeing her made me feel the same way. She has such positive energy, and she’s like sunshine, so it only inspired me more.
I saw on social media that you and your dad enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles together. [White’s father, Herbert White Jr., died in April 2022 at age 96.] Are you still doing them?
Absolutely. I always have one on my coffee table at home and just do it here and there. And not only jigsaw puzzles, I play Words with Friends every day. I do Wordle. I do crossword puzzles. Letters are my life. What can I say? I love it. I like board games. I grew up playing games. It’s just part of who I am.
Who is in your Words with Friends group? Anyone we know?
I do it with several friends. Pat Sajak is one of them, and he kicks my butt all the time!
Which board games do you like?
Remember Parcheesi? Life? Monopoly, of course; Apples to Apples.
Did you play them with your kids [Nicholas “Nikko,” 31; Giovanna “Gigi,” 28, with ex-husband George Santo Pietro] when they were growing up?
Oh, definitely. We still have game nights occasionally.
White gets back to work on “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” with cohost Ryan Seacrest on Sept. 26.
CBS
You also crochet. I remember you made a blanket for Ryan and gifted it to him on camera. What’s the last thing you made?
A baby blanket. I make those all the time. I absolutely love doing it. My grandmother taught me when I was little. So I’ve been doing it my whole life. I also have my own brand of yarn called Vanna’s Choice Lion Brand Yarn. I donate half my proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So that makes me feel really good.
Were there game shows that you watched on TV when you were growing up?
Concentration was one of them, and I actually went to New York and went to a taping. It was cool. I was like 12 years old.
Who gave you the best advice, and what was it?
Growing up in a small town in South Carolina, my mother and dad were so supportive. And my mother always said, “Follow your dream. Do not give up.” And that has been what I’ve done.
How do you stay in shape?
I exercise, of course. I spin and I do weights. But keeping in shape not only [helps] physically, but it also helps you mentally. When you’ve put on a good sweat after spinning on a bike, it just kind of clears your head and gets anxiety out.
What’s the best part about getting older?
All the wisdom that you have as you get older, there are things that you look at; you’re going, “Gosh, I would have done it differently looking back.” Or looking ahead, you kind of know what to expect at this point, because you’ve probably experienced almost everything in life. So good lessons have been taught over the years, or we’ve learned, I should say. That’s probably the best thing — the wisdom.
What’s the worst thing about getting older?
Having to wear reading glasses!
What does retirement look like to Vanna White?
Golf. Playing golf. And probably traveling a little bit as well. But just relaxing and enjoying a simple life, really.
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