Vanna White Tells the Surprising Story of How She Landed Her 'Wheel of Fortune' Role

After more than four decades and 8,000 glamorous outfits, Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White is no longer turning letters. Don’t worry: She’s still at the puzzle board, helping contestants solve word puzzles by revealing their choices, pricey vowels and all. Only now, the actual letter-turning is done by lasers.

The new puzzle board may be the least of the major changes for the long-running show, which on Sept. 9, 2024, debuted an all-new set and new host, former American Idol host Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest stepped in after the show’s host of 41 seasons, Pat Sajak, announced his plans to retire last year before filming his final season. His last episode aired in June of this year.

Related: Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White Holds Back Tears as She Says Farewell to Pat Sajak

White, 67, said she briefly considered retiring at the same time before quickly deciding against it, telling Parade she’s not ready to leave. She loves coming to work, watching people win and changing people’s lives.

“...This is a half-hour of family fun and escape from so much,” she says. “It's such a positive family show. I love being part of that.”

White took Parade for a spin down memory lane to when her story with the show began.

“I was in the audience at a taping of Dance Fever, which was a Merv Griffin show. He also owned Wheel of Fortune at the time. And I was friends with a dancer on the show. I said, ‘I hear they're looking for a replacement on Wheel of Fortune. Who do I need to talk to?’ She introduced me to Merv’s right-hand man,” White says. “He said, “Here's my card. If we haven't made the decision by Oct. 5, 1982, you can come in and audition.’ So I called him at 10 o'clock in the morning on Oct. 5.”

Related: Vanna White Opens Up About Her 40-Year Gig: 'I'm Not Playing a Character. I Am Who I Am'

White auditioned along with Summer Bartholomew (Miss USA 1975) and Vicki McCarty, who was a good friend, she says. Her audition consisted of what the job entailed: wearing a pretty dress, walking out and twirling, turning letters, and brief banter with Sajak.

“It was between the three of us, and Vicki is actually a good friend of mine and the complete opposite of me. She was a brunette, spoke so clearly, and she was prim and proper and just perfect. And I was so nervous when I auditioned, I just thought, There's no way I'm going to get this job. My knees were shaking. My mouth was quivering. I just could hardly do it. I wanted the job so bad. A week or so later, Merv made the final decision. I found out the day before Thanksgiving in 1982 that I got the job,” White says. “[When] I asked Merv, ‘Why did you choose me?’ …he said ‘You turned the letters better than anyone else.’”

Related: Pat Sajak Reveals the ‘Piece of the Puzzle’ That Made Wheel of Fortune Successful

It was the culmination of a lifelong dream for White, who had just moved to Los Angeles two years before from her native North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was there that she caught the spark to pursue show business, she recalls.

“I was in the third grade and I just had my appendix out, so I'm lying on the sofa watching TV. This TV show called The Rat Patrol comes on,” White says. “My mother is in the kitchen cooking and she says, ‘That's your uncle, [actor] Christopher George on TV.’ I had an uncle on TV! I want to be on TV! That's really when it started.”

As soon as White moved to LA, she began acting classes and auditions simultaneously, she says, often fighting self-doubt when entering a room with 50 or more people going after one part.

“But I never gave up. And that’s what I tell everybody—never give up,” she says. “You can do it. If I can do it, you can do it.”

As for turning letters, while she’s shown she can do it with remarkable poise over many years, she doesn’t even have to touch them now.

“Now the board is operated by a laser. It’s like a flat screen. And when I go to touch the letter, the laser catches my movement. It’s crazy, right?” White says.

While her letter-turning tasks may have gone the way of tech, White’s job today is mostly about showcasing the wardrobe, plus her enduring and endearing presence. She says she enjoys knowing people tune in for fashion inspiration and the opportunity to serve as a good role model can’t be understated.

“The whole reason I wanted to be on TV since I was a little girl was because I wanted to give people a good feeling—try to show them kindness, be a good person,” White says. “I feel like by playing myself on TV, I’m able to do that. I’m not playing a character. I am who I am, so let me share it with you.”

Next, Find out if Vanna White Gets to Keep the Dresses She Wears on Wheel of Fortune