All good things must come to an end, even unique jobs that lasted four decades. For letter-turning Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White, the idea of her and Pat Sajak’s time on the show ending is a sad one to think about.
But think about it she did. White spoke with People about her television career as she geared up for a very different celebration: her anniversary with Lion Brand Yarn. White reflected on her and Sajak’s casting, the chemistry they developed together, and just how personally she’s attached to her roles of letter-turner and co-host. Just what does she imagine for the future?
Vanna White says thinking about the end of her and Pat Sajak being on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is depressing
White, 65, and Sajak, 76, are on slightly different pages when it comes to thoughts of retirement. Sajak has acknowledged he’s “certainly closer to the end than the beginning” of his Wheel of Fortune tenure. Confronted with this same idea, White said, “I don’t even want to think about that. I mean, we’re a team. That’s depressing. I don’t even want to think about it.”
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“I just visualize us just being there. I can’t think beyond that,” White continues, imagining the future when retirement does come. Going from the role of participant to viewer, also, means “it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters,” White feels such a connection to the job and titular wheel.
A huge part of the magic comes from the chemistry
From day one to today, White sees her and Sajak as a unified force. That’s part of how White and Sajak landed the jobs on Wheel of Fortune. “I think when Merv Griffin chose both of us, 40 and 41 years ago, he saw something between us — a brother-sister type relationship,” explained White. “And I think that is kind of what it is. He saw that we would be able to get along, and we do. We are like a brother and sister team.”
She’s also likened them to Barbie and Ken, iconic and synonymous with the greater program. “Everybody relates Wheel of Fortune to Pat and Vanna,” says White, adding, “We’ve been in everybody’s homes for 40 years.” Four decades is a time spam White finds hard to process, but she’s “loved every minute of it.” As she also points out, “Who still says they love their job after 40 years? Me! I really do. It’s a fun show. Everybody watches and enjoys it and it changes people’s lives and it makes people happy. So it’s a great job.”
Can you picture Wheel of Fortune without Vanna White or Pat Sajak?
