40 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From The Set Of Wheel Of Fortune
For decades now, Wheel of Fortune has been a staple of American television. Millions of viewers tune in to watch Pat Sajak and Vanna White usher contestants through letter-based puzzles. But even if you watch the show religiously, you might not know these 40 surprising details from behind the scenes.
40. Vanna White wasn’t the first hostess
Back in the ’70s, when Wheel of Fortune was still a network show, a different woman turned the letters on the board. This was Susan Stafford, a former model – but she didn’t like the job much. In 1987 she told the Chicago Tribune newspaper, “I mean, for seven years I stood there and turned letters. I had to ask myself if that was any way for a grown woman to live her life.”
39. Contestants have to pay for their own travel
In 2012 a 1992-era show contestant named Shane O’Donnell wrote about his experience on the website Quora. He talked about all the good parts, but there were bad parts, as well. Contestants had to cough up for their own travel expenses, for example. And even once they’d paid for the transport, there was no guarantee they’d actually be picked for the program.
38. The set and equipment weighs a lot
The Wheel of Fortune set can’t be easily packed up and moved. According to The Week magazine, the whole thing weighs almost a million pounds. So, whenever the wheel and puzzle-board need to be moved, they’re carefully dismantled first. It then takes 14 trucks to move the entire set from place to place.
37. Vanna White beat 200 women for the hostess job
When Susan Stafford left the show, plenty of other women wanted her job. Vanna White – who was then a waitress in Los Angeles – decided to apply. She was up against 200 ladies at first, but she fought her way through to become one of three finalists. Then, the program’s creator Merv Griffin picked her out of the trio because he thought she was best at turning the letters. The rest, as they say, is history.
