Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White revealed what contestant bloopers have made her laugh throughout her decades-long job as the letter-turner.
In a new interview with People on Monday, January 6, in honor of the game show's 50th anniversary, White, 67, acknowledged that she felt "for our contestants because they're so nervous." However, that doesn't mean she hasn't laughed over a few contestant's responses over the years.
"But I do chuckle on the inside at some of the wrong answers," White said. "Half of the time I don't think they even realize what they're saying. Like the time the answer was 'More Fun Than a Barrel of Monkeys,' and the contestant guessed, 'More Fun Than a Barrel of Vikings!'"
"There was the guy who thought it was a 'Styrofoam Hat' instead of 'Styrofoam Cup,'" she added. "And then there was a famous one where the answer was 'Gone With the Wind,' and the answer the contestant gave was 'Done With One Hand.'"
During the interview, White also shared another mistake that a contestant has made while trying to solve the puzzles. "We had a puzzle where the answer was 'Streetcar Named Desire,'" she said. "And only the 'm' was missing. The contestant answered, 'Streetcar Naked Desire!'"
White joined the show in 1982 and has been turning the letters since. Pat Sajak, the show's longtime host (since 1981), left the game show in June 2024. Since then, Ryan Seacrest has taken over the Wheel of Fortune hosting duties.
"Finally, to my professional other half, dear Vanna," Sajak said in a sweet tribute to her during his final episode. "Like me, she takes the show very seriously but not herself. I shudder to think what these 40 years might have been like had they brought someone in all full of themselves, playing the prima donna role."
"She's a very special woman and I know you're all pleased to know she'll be back next season," he added.
According to Us Weekly, White's Wheel of Fortune contract is set until at least 2026, as she signed the deal in 2023.
English (US) ·