Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White has made a career out of turning letters and volleying fellow host Pat Sajak’s one-liners, but she has also appeared onscreen in several other properties.
There was that terrible 1980s made-for-TV romance Goddess of Love, plus the 1994 B-movie Double Dragon. She also had cameos on the likes of Full House and The King of Queens, as well as a guest appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars. Heck, she even did some interviews for WrestleMania IV back in the day.
But few people know that she actually appeared on another game show before becoming the co-host of Wheel of Fortune. In fact, White was selected to “come on down” for a 1980 episode of The Price Is Right. White was one of the first four contestants invited to guess the actual retail price of a set of weightlifting equipment. Unfortunately, her guesses weren’t as close as some others, and White was stuck at the podium for the entire episode. (You always guess one dollar lower, Vanna. Always!)
Although she was never onstage, host Bob Barker made sure to relay some comments by the backstage crew regarding her slim-fitting T-shirt, just to make sure we can’t fully enjoy anything on TV where a man is complimenting a woman before like four years ago. However, Barker kept it PG — and since White was already a contestant in the 1978 Miss Georgia USA pageant, she likely was used to that kind of attention already. If you’re curious, White was the fourth runner-up in that contest, per TV Guide, and we’d like to request a recount.
A mere two years later, White became the official co-host of Wheel of Fortune; although at that time she was called a “hostess,” despite that she never seated anyone at the coveted corner booth at Bob Evans.
Following 40-plus years of grinning through some truly dumb puzzle guesses, White’s contract expires at the end of the 2023–2024 season. Rumors suggest that she may be leaving the show along with Sajak, who has already announced his retirement at the end of next season. (He’ll be replaced with Ryan Seacrest, which makes us feel hollow inside.)
Fans are wondering if her role will be phased out entirely under the new regime. We don’t recommend it, as her presence could serve as a balm for all of us who think Seacrest serves crazy eyes every time he’s on TV. If White truly is leaving the show, our only request is for her to resist any offers for a Goddess of Love 2.
Published: Jun 28, 2023 06:07 pm