Vanna White has been on Wheel of Fortune since 1982.
Start
Vanna White began as co-host of Wheel of Fortune on December 13, 1982, replacing Susan Stafford. Pat Sajak was host from 1981 until 2024.
Longevity
She is the show’s letter-turner for more than 40 years, and has appeared in over 8,000 episodes. She won a Guinness World Record for Most Frequent Television Game Show Hostess (as of 2018).
Hosts
Ryan Seacrest replaced Pat Sajak in September 2024.
Contract
White has extended her contract with the show, as announced for later seasons.
Show
Wheel of Fortune premiered in 1975 as a network daytime show and in syndication in 1983.
Fact
She turns about 200 letters per episode.
Her start on the show
Vanna White first appeared on Wheel of Fortune on December 13, 1982, taking over from Susan Stafford. The show had begun on NBC in 1975 and went into syndication in 1983. White has worked on more than 7,000 episodes, according to Guinness, which lists her as the most frequent letter turner in television game show history. She holds the title of the longest-serving game show hostess.
Early life and career
White was born in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1957 and worked as a model and actress before the show. She was a finalist from about 200 candidates for the role, and she won it with a short audition. In 1982 she was 25 years old.
Hosts she has worked with
- Chuck Woolery, host from 1975 to 1981.
- Pat Sajak, host from 1981 to 2024, working with White for 41 years.
- Ryan Seacrest, who replaced Sajak in the 2024 to 2025 season after Sajak announced his retirement.
White’s contract was extended in 2022 and again for later seasons, with a reported salary reaching $10 million a year.
What her job involves
White reveals letters on the puzzle board and holds a share of the on-air banter. Until 1997 she turned letters by hand, and after that a touch screen system was introduced. She is known for wearing a large variety of dresses, with an estimated thousands of outfits over her career, and the show is taped four days at a time with several episodes recorded in a single day.
The show
Wheel of Fortune is the longest-running syndicated game show in the US. It airs in more than 40 countries. The show is based on the game of hangman, with contestants spinning a wheel and guessing letters to solve puzzles and win cash and prizes. The top prize on the wheel is $1 million, a wedge introduced later in the show’s history.
Awards and other work
White received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992. She has appeared on television shows, written books, and designed a line of knitting yarn. She also hosted spinoff and special editions of the program, and has been a guest on other game shows.
Show facts and the long run
Wheel of Fortune premiered on NBC in January 1975 with Chuck Woolery as host, and Vanna White joined in December 1982 after Susan Stafford left. Pat Sajak became host in 1981 and retired in June 2024, after about 41 years. Ryan Seacrest became the new host in September 2024. White has appeared in over 8,000 episodes, and she holds the Guinness World Record for most frequently-appearing TV game show hostess. The syndicated version began in 1983 and became one of the most-watched shows in syndication. The program has been filmed in Culver City, California, at Sony Pictures Studios.
Based on data from Guinness World Records and Sony Pictures Television
