Vanna White has been shining on our television screens for more than 40 years as the co-host of Wheel of Fortune, and while it may seem like a simple (and irrelevant) thing, one of the most notable aspects of the show is White’s iconic wardrobe. From floor-length sequined gowns to shimmering pantsuits, she has looked consistently exquisite standing at the side of the big puzzle board, and that means a lot of time trying on dresses.
As the 43rd season of one of the best game shows of all time continues to air on the 2025 TV schedule, exactly how much time does Vanna White put in to find that perfect dress, and how many outfits does she have to try on? She gave us a peek inside what a taping day is like on Wheel of Fortune, including what sounds like an exhausting start, telling E! News:
I show up here at seven in the morning. I try on 30 to 40 dresses for fittings for the show, and then I go into hair and makeup at about 8:30. We start our first show at 11:30, and then we do many, many shows.
If Vanna White is getting in and out of 30 to 40 dresses in 90 minutes, that is super impressive. I’d definitely need a break after that, and hopefully her time in the hair and makeup chairs provide that for her. Then, she still isn’t done with the outfit changes, because she has to change into a different dress during each 15-minute break they get between episodes.
Ryan Seacrest’s co-host has said before that they only film 34 days a year, so I guess they have to make the most of that time. When trying on all of the outfits, the only rule they have to meet is that Vanna White has to be able to raise her arms to the top row of letters. If her movement is restricted, the dress gets nixed.
In her 42 years as the Wheel of Fortune letter-turner, only one dress has been repeated (by accident), though she does wear her many pairs of shoes more than once. She prefers a cocktail dress over a long gown, she’s said, so she doesn’t have to worry about tripping in her heels. (For what it’s worth, Ryan Seacrest has taken multiple spills in his short time as host, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen Vanna White fall — though she did get whacked in the head with confetti once).
Her favorite look would be a bright pastel, loose-fitting cocktail dress with sleeves so that she wouldn’t have to wear a strapless bra, but even if and when she wears an outfit that she loves, she doesn’t get to keep it. Every one of the more than 8,000 dresses Vanna White has adorned on Wheel of Fortune is on loan, and her outfits are documented and returned after filming ends.
Those dresses may not have anything to do with the actual puzzle-solving, but there’s obviously a lot of thought and work that goes into dressing the famous co-host, and I for one think the effort is worth it.
Check your local listings to see when episodes air in your area, or you can now stream Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.
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