Vanna White Reveals ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Audition Fears While Shedding Light on Pat Sajak Relationship

Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White has been an institution on television for more than 30 years, but she admitted to thinking she would not get the job after her audition. White, 63, did not have to worry, though. Not only did she get the job, but she has had it for 38 years. Last year, White even hosted the show after Pat Sajak needed emergency surgery.

In a new interview with E!’s Daily Pop, White said she was “so nervous” during her audition. “I wanted the job so badly and I didn’t think I had any chance of getting it,” she recalled. She got the role, though and said she had “no idea” it came with such incredible job security. “I remember sitting in the makeup chair next to Pat [Sajak] and saying, ‘I wonder where we’ll be in ten years?’ And It’s been 38,” White said.

Later, White commented on how well she and Sajak, 74, work together. “We’ve never had one argument. And I think we just have the same personality,” White told Daily Pop. “We’re easy-going, we’re laid back. So, it’s just worked all these years.”

During that time, the structure of Wheel of Fortune has remained unchanged, even if the technology behind her puzzle board has been tweaked. “It’s a family show that everyone of all ages can enjoy, and there’s no drama. It’s excitement. It’s fun,” White said. She added that she is “grateful” and “thankful” for the job. She has “loved every minute of the 38 years I’ve been here.”

Last winter, White hosted episodes of Wheel of Fortune without Sajak for the first time in the show’s history when Sajak needed emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. Although fans praised her performance, White said she never plans on replacing Sajak. “I like my puzzle board; I want to stay at my puzzle board. And there’s no competition either,” White told Esquire. “It’s Pat’s job, and I’m filling in for him. I’m not looking to take his position.”

In that same interview, White compared stepping into Sajak’s shoes to a baseball player asked to switch from first base to another position. “I was very nervous, but I felt like the show must go on,” White said at the time. “I’m gonna do this for Pat and for everybody else, you know? I think people feel comfortable with me and Pat. They’ve seen us together for 37 years, and I thought it would be really strange with somebody else up there, so I stepped in.”