Vanna White Biography
Vanna White is an American Philanthropist, reality TV star, former model and game show hostess. She is best known for being on the game show Wheel of Fortune since 1982.
Vanna White Career
After graduating from high school, White moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended the Atlanta School of Fashion and Design and worked as a model. In 1978, before gaining fame on television, she participated as a contestant in the Miss Georgia USA pageant. Her first game show appearance was on the June 20, 1980, episode of The Price Is Right. Although she didn’t make it on stage, a clip of her running to Contestants’ Row was later featured in anniversary specials of the show. In 1980, she ventured to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In the summer of the same year, she briefly returned to South Carolina to visit her mother, who was in the final stages of ovarian cancer. She made cameo appearances in various television shows and films, including a role in the movie Looker (1981) and a part in the horror film Graduation Day (1981). Her autobiography, “Vanna Speaks!,” published in 1987, became a best-seller.
In 1987, she was featured in a Playboy pictorial showcasing pre-Wheel of Fortune photos, and she starred as Venus in the 1988 television movie Goddess of Love. Additionally, she has made guest appearances in popular shows like L.A. Law, 227, Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Simon and Simon, The King of Queens, Full House, and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. She also had roles in films such as Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994) and Double Dragon (1994). Her contributions to various projects extend beyond acting, as she lent her voice to animated specials and served as the main narrator and singer for the CD release of Leslie Bricusse’s “Santa’s Last Ride” in 1996. In 2006, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with key witnesses including Pat Sajak, Merv Griffin, and Alex Trebek. She continued to make special guest appearances, presenting a set of luggage on The Price Is Right Celebrates 50 Years in September 2021.
In May 2022, White appeared as a special guest on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars. On April 21, 2023, it was announced that she would be featured in a four-episode documentary by ABC News titled “The Game Show Show,” covering the history of game shows in America over the last eight decades. The four-part documentary premiered on May 10, 2023. As of 2019, she has made substantial contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, totaling $1.8 million. She expressed her intention to continue philanthropic efforts even after her retirement.
Crochet and knitting endorsements
When White was five years old, her grandmother taught her how to crochet. Although her interest in the hobby waned over time, it was rekindled on the set of Wheel of Fortune when she noticed her pregnant hairdresser crocheting a baby blanket. She asked for assistance in relearning crochet, and since then, she often engages in crocheting during downtime on the set. She finds it relaxing and enjoys having tangible results from her time spent on it. Her connection with Lion Brand Yarns began when she shared her love for crochet on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Following this, the yarn company reached out to her, and they negotiated a contract. White has her own line of yarn called “Vanna’s Choice” and actively endorses crochet and knitting books published under her name.
Real Estate
White utilizes her income to invest in apartment buildings, demonstrating an interest in real estate. Additionally, she enjoys the practice of flipping houses. In 2017, she listed her Beverly Hills home for $47.5 million, indicating a significant real estate transaction. As of 2023, she has taken the step of renting out her home in Sherman Oaks. This suggests ongoing involvement and activity in the real estate market.
Vanna White Salary
White earns an annual salary of about $13,000,000-$15,000,000.
Vanna White Net Worth
White has an estimated net worth of about $85 Million – $110 Million which she has earned through her career as a host.
Vanna White Age
White was born on February 18, 1957, in Conway, South Carolina, United States. She is 67 years old as of 2024, and she celebrates her birthday on the 18th of February every year.
Vanna White Height and Weight
White stands at a height of 5 feet 6 inches tall, and she weighs 125 lbs (75kgs).
Vanna White Family
White is the daughter of Miguel Angel Rosich and Joan Marie. Her parents separated when she was an infant, and she was raised by her mother and her second husband Herbert White Jr., who is a former real estate broker.
Vanna White Husband
White was married to John Gibson who was a Chippendales dancer, a soap opera actor and a playgirl magazine centrefold. Unfortunately, Gibson met a tragic end in a 1986 airplane crash. In 1990, White married George San Pietro, who is a restaurateur. White and San Pietro divorced in November 2002. Following her marriage to George San Pietro, White was engaged to finance mogul Michael Kaye a couple of years later. However, the two never proceeded to marriage. Subsequently, she entered into a long-term relationship with real estate developer John Donaldson in 2012. She resides in New York together with her family.
Vanna White Children
White first became pregnant in September 1992. The pregnancy was publicly acknowledged on an episode of Wheel of Fortune, with “Vanna’s pregnant” revealed as the answer to a puzzle. Unfortunately, she experienced a miscarriage shortly after the taping of that episode. However, White and George Santo Pietro, her husband at the time, later welcomed a son, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro in 1994 and a daughter, Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro in 1997.
Guinness World record
White is widely recognized for her smooth letter-revealing technique on the game board, her radiant smile, and her consistent clapping in support of contestants in each episode. On the May 24, 2013, episode of Wheel of Fortune, she was honored with a Guinness World Record certificate for being the most frequent clapper. By January 31, 2013, she had clapped an estimated 3,480,864 times over the course of the show’s 30 seasons. Remarkably, she had participated in all but 10 of Wheel’s 5,754 episodes at that point in the modern syndicated run, which commenced on September 19, 1983. This averages out to approximately 606 claps per show.
Wheel of Fortune
After Wheel of Fortune hostess Susan Stafford departed in October 1982, White was chosen as one of three substitute hostesses, alongside Vicki McCarty and Summer Bartholomew, to co-host the show. On December 13, 1982, she became the regular hostess. In a temporary role reversal, she took over as the master of ceremonies for Wheel of Fortune. This was starting with the week of episodes originally set to air on December 9, 2019. This decision followed host Pat Sajak’s hospitalization and emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. She hosted during this period, introducing guest letter activators like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse for the Secret Santa Holiday Giveaway. After a brief hiatus and a week of pre-taped “America’s Game” episodes hosted by Sajak, she returned for a final week on January 6, 2020, assisted by a “special guest,” Pat Sajak’s daughter Maggie.
Sajak fully recovered and resumed hosting on December 5, 2019, with episodes airing from January 13, 2020. In August 2023, she contracted COVID-19, causing her to miss filming five episodes. Bridgette Donald-Blue temporarily replaced her, and filming on additional episodes was postponed until her recovery. This marked the first time she had missed an episode since 1991. In September 2023, she extended her contract as the host of Wheel of Fortune through the 2025–26 season. Since 2021, both Pat Sajak and White hosted Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC. In July 2023, it was announced that they would continue as hosts of Wheel of Fortune through the 2023–24 season. Furthermore, she extended her contract on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune again in July 2023. In May 2023, she participated as a contestant on a celebrity edition of Wheel of Fortune, competing against Jeopardy! hosts Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings.
Salary Dispute Amid Contract Negotiations
In September 2022, White was photographed standing in front of a Wheel of Fortune puzzle. As she approached the conclusion of her contract during the 2023-24 season, she sought a salary raise, having not received one for the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune in 18 years. To negotiate this, White enlisted the services of Bryan Freedman, a prominent and assertive entertainment lawyer. Despite earning $3 million annually for the syndicated version, which was nearly five times less than Pat Sajak’s salary, White had previously received raises for ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
In mid-September 2023, she successfully secured a two-year contract extension after challenging negotiations. While the specific details of the contract were not publicly disclosed, TMZ reported that White obtained a “substantial pay increase.”
Social Media Platform
White is very active on her Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. She has 55k followers on Twitter 119.3k followers on Instagram and 179.4k followers on Facebook.