Pat Sajak and Vanna White Puzzled as Wheel of Fortune Turns 25
Pat Sajak and Vanna White, Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (syndicated; check the TV Guide Network or TVGuide.com for listings)
has been celebrating its 25th
anniversary this month. We
sat down with host
Pat Sajak and
Vanna White to
talk about their — gulp —
quarter century (!) turn
around the
Wheel.
TV Guide: Did you have any idea this would have this kind of longevity?
Vanna White: When I first joined the show, we were sitting in makeup chairs next to each other and I said to Pat, "Where do you think we'll be in 10 years?" I'm sure he said something funny.
Pat Sajak: I say funny things as often as not, so it's hard to narrow it down. I do remember thinking that I certainly wouldn't be hosting Wheel of Fortune. It's the nature of TV that these things usually don't hang around. But there doesn't seem to be an end to it, and it will outlive both of us.
TV Guide: Do you have a most memorable game moment?
White: There was a puzzle [answer] once that was "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat" and it was almost all filled in except for two letters — and the poor woman guessed the wrong letter. She had a lot of money in front of her. It was nerves.
TV Guide: What do people say to you when they meet you today?
Sajak: I get a lot of "Gee, you're taller, younger and thinner in person." Apparently, I'm short, old and fat on TV. Everyone thinks I'm 3-foot-9. I'm 5-10. TV distorts [everyone], but it works like hell on me.
TV Guide: Vanna, what happens to all your gowns?
White: I've never worn the same outfit twice. Some are returned to designers, since they're sample sizes and I'm a sample size. They go back on runways, they're auctioned for charity. They do not go into my closet.
Find more on Wheel's 25th year in our Online Video Guide.
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Send your comments on this Q&A to letters@tvguide.com.
