Wheel of Fortune remains one of the best game shows of all time, even decades after it first premiered. No episode is the same, of course, but each one manages to keep viewers on the edge of their seats or frustrated when it comes to a contestant solving a puzzle. There’s also the nerves that the contestants feel whenever they're on, and even Vanna White still gets nervous after being on the show for over half her life, but I totally get it.
White has been the co-host since 1982, and she has seen a lot. Of course, it’s always hard to predict what will happen on a game show since there is no script, and it’s what makes game shows like Wheel of Fortune so entertaining. And it’s why White still gets nervous from time to time. There is one thing that White still isn’t quite used to after all these years, and she tells Parade what makes her nervous:
I don’t get nervous very often. Every once in a while, I do. Like if I know we have a million dollars on the wheel, and she picks up the million dollars… it’s not nerves, but my heart is pounding. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just want her to solve it or him to solve it!’
Considering there is always a chance that the contestant lands on the million dollars, it’s nerve-wracking to know that their future may depend on the ability to solve a single puzzle. It’s nerve-wracking as a viewer, but I can’t imagine the kind of tension on set. There have been a small handful of people to land on the million dollars and solve the bonus puzzle correctly in the show’s run, most recently earlier this month.
Aside from her heart pounding when it comes to a contestant, maybe winning a million dollars, White revealed that there’s another moment that truly made her nervous. And after almost 30 years, she still can’t stop thinking about it, sharing in a previous interview with Closer:
I remember years ago, I was sitting in the makeup chair, and Stevie Wonder walked in. So yes, I got nervous when I saw Stevie Wonder. And I also got nervous when I saw Mister Rogers. He came on our show, and I was just so nervous to meet him.
There have been a lot of celebrities to grace the Wheel of Fortune stages, but running into icons like Stevie Wonder and Mister Rogers have left her starstruck and I don't blame her. The beloved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood host appeared during Pittsburgh Week in September 1998. As for Wonder, it sounds like it was just a random chance meeting, but considering some of his songs have been used on the show, perhaps he just wanted to pay everyone a surprise visit. Regardless, it sounds like it was a dream on both accounts.
Vanna White may get nervous at times, but she seems to be handling it like a pro every time. It makes sense that she still gets nervous, and why she’s gotten nervous, but now I need to know how Pat Sajak felt during those moments as well. And there’s no telling what else might be in store when it comes to viral moments. Wheel of Fortune is still going through firsts, so nothing is predictable.
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