Vanna White recreates sweet moment with a 15-year-old on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ 36 years after kissing his father
Vanna White is grabbing major attention but for a surprising reason. The co-host of 'Wheel of Fortune' has been working on the game show since 1982. Now, in a sweet moment, the 68-year-old host kissed an audience member. However, in a heartening turn of events, it is revealed that the kiss was more of a symbolic one, as she kissed the audience member 36 years after kissing his dad, making for a heartfelt moment.
White recently kissed a 'Wheel of Fortune' audience member who was just 15 years old, the same way she did to his father 36 years ago in 1989. During a Q&A, announcer Jim Thornton told host Ryan Seacrest that a fan had a story for White. The man said, "Nice to see you again, Vanna. We met in 1989 when I was at a taping of the show. I was a little 15-year-old, like my son is now," as per TV Insider. The fan explained that after telling a joke, a producer invited him down to the set, where White "walked right over to me and gave me a 'huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.'"
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He humorously added, "I didn't wash it for almost a week!" prompting laughter from the audience. White was visibly surprised to learn the man had been 15 when they first met. She then greeted his son, saying she was "going to give him a hug first." After their hug, she asked the father if he wanted to take a picture. White gave the boy a peck on the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark, while the crowd clapped and she and Seacrest chuckled.
The father exclaimed, "That's the hat," and Seacrest, with his signature wit, jokingly added, "Amazing!" before giving the dad a playful kiss on the cheek. Notably, White recently surprised the hosts of 'Elvis Duran and the Morning Show' by revealing she only works on 'Wheel of Fortune' "about 34 days a year." She has co-hosted the show for 43 Seasons, originally alongside Pat Sajak for 42 years, and now works with Seacrest, as per Variety.
White explained, "That's it. But [we film] six shows a day. Come on… You could feel bad for me." Elvis Duran responded jokingly, "I do not feel sorry for you one bit. That sounds like a great job." Danielle Monaro noted, "That’s six different dresses a day," to which White replied, "It is!" When asked if that meant she gets 331 days off each year, White answered, "Yeah, I guess so. I've never looked at it like that." White reportedly extended her 'Wheel of Fortune' contract by two years in 2023, keeping her on the show through the 2025–2026 season. Her new deal followed reports that executives considered her "replaceable" and that she hadn't received a pay raise in 18 years. As per reports, White negotiated a "substantial pay increase" after previously earning $3 million per year.