Wayne Gretzky’s significant other was instrumental in Vanna White getting a shot to be on “Wheel of Fortune.” In 2018, White told The Believer how she scored the job of “Wheel of Fortune” co-host that made her a household name. At the time, the game show, which was created by Merv Griffin, was looking for a replacement co-host. White then went to a taping of “Dance Fever,” another series created by Griffin.
Janet Jones, who now goes by Janet Gretzky, as she’s Wayne’s wife, was a performer on “Dance Fever” and knew White. White asked Janet if she could meet someone to inquire about opportunities to try out to be the “Wheel of Fortune” replacement. Janet brought White into contact with one of Griffin’s colleagues, and this led to a successful “Wheel of Fortune” audition. “[Janet] introduced me to Merv’s right-hand man. He said, ‘Here’s my card. If we haven’t made a decision by October 5, you can come in and audition,'” White said. “So, 10 o’clock I called him on October 5. He said they had not made a decision. So they put me on tape, and I got the job.”
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Thirty-four years later, in October 2016, White and Sajak celebrated the anniversary of White reaching out to audition for the show. Following this introduction from Janet, and subsequently landing the job, White has remained a prominent game show personality.
