EXCLUSIVE: Vanna White's Secret Life — 5 Things You (Probably) Never Knew About the Glamazon Game Show Host
Vanna White has revealed her deepest secrets which she's kept from viewers during her five-decade career in showbiz.
May 30 2025, Updated 10:17 a.m. ET
Wheel of Fortune icon Vanna White is one of America's most popular game show hosts, having enjoyed a glittering career spanning five decades.
And RadarOnline.com can now reveal secrets from the TV veteran's life viewers will be unaware of — until now.
Big TV Ambition
White has always wanted to be a TV star ever since she discovered her uncle was a hit on the small screen.
First of all, White, 68, has always dreamed of being a TV star ever since she was at school after being inspired by a family member being a hit on the small screen.
White explained: "When I was in the third grade, I had my appendix taken out, and I was at home watching this show called The Rat Patrol.
"My mother was in the kitchen cooking. She turned around and said, 'that's your uncle (Christopher Geaohe) on TV.'
"I said, 'What? I have an uncle on TV? I want to be on TV!'
"So, it started in the third grade. It worked out."
Why Is She Called Vanna?
White has revealed the meaning behind her name, admitting she was named after an old neighbor.
White has also revealed the meaning behind her name, admitting she was named after a family friend.
The star, who was raised in South California, said: "My grandmother's next-door-neighbor was named Vanna, and my mother named me after her."
White may take her TV work in her stride, but there are times when she struggles to keep her composure — especially around a particular insect.
Explaining her fear of spiders, she said: "When I was in second grade, I got bit by a spider, and my finger swelled up really big.
"And it turned black. That freaked me out."
Isn't He Wonderful
White says she still gets star-struck and Stevie Wonder left her lost for words.
She also still gets star-struck, despite her 43 years as a letter turner, and names one iconic singer who really left her lost for words.
White explained: "I was star-struck by Stevie Wonder.
"I was sitting in my makeup chair, and he walked into the room. I just was like, 'wow, it's Stevie Wonder.' The others were Mister Rogers and Mickey Mantle.
And if she wasn’t on TV, White is clear on what would have been her alternative career choice.
She added: "Before all those (home renovation) shows came out on HGTV, I used to buy a little condo, fix it up and flip it.
"Yeah, I would have been in real estate."
Weight Concern
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The Wheel of Fortune host has sparked health fears over her bid to retain youthful looks.
RadarOnline.com revealed earlier this month the extremes White is going through to stay super thin and youthful.
But insiders say people around her fear she is starving herself into a dangerous bag of bones.
"Vanna's arms are like twigs, and her wrists look so fragile, and her hip bones poke out," said an insider.
The longtime Wheel of Fortune letter-turner, who is 5-foot-6 and barely tips the scale at 110 pounds, continues to pressure herself to look perfect – and sources say it's too much.
"She's looking really skinny now, and the sad part is she thinks she's too flabby and needs toning up," confided an insider.
In a recent video she posted on social media from Hawaii, White – in a dress and full makeup – dropped down on her hotel room rug and did a series of push-ups ahead of the day's taping.
"I wear a lot of strapless stuff, so I try to keep my arms in shape, so I do a few push-ups," she explained.
The insider said: "She's very worried about underarm flab."
