Vanna White celebrates 40 years on 'Wheel of Fortune' with an iconic throwback photo
White's glamorous letter turning made her a staple of the game show.

Vanna White's signature wave.
Vanna White has officially made letter-turning into an art form for four decades.
The model and performer famously bombed as a contestant on “The Price Is Right,” in the early '80s, but it wouldn’t be long before her talents found a perfect home on another gameshow. And now, literally thousands of dresses later, White’s name is synonymous with “Wheel of Fortune.”
To celebrate the milestone, White posted a throwback picture to her Instagram, showing her next to host Pat Sajak during their early days on “Wheel of Fortune.”
She also included a recent picture of herself at 65 (as classically glamorous as always) alongside her longtime collaborator, doing her iconic gesture toward an elaborate “Wheel of Fortune” themed cake, complete with multiple Vanna White dolls.
"I can’t believe I’m saying this, but 40 years ago today I taped my first episode of @wheeloffortune. It’s been a wonderful 40 years, too!" she wrote in her caption.
"I’m so grateful to those of you who watch and everyone behind the scenes who make us look good. We wouldn’t still be here without all of you! (And the cake was delicious!)."
The show also posted a behind-the-scenes video of White’s 40th anniversary celebration.
In the clip, Sajak sweetly says, "Folks, it was 40 years ago on this very date that this young lady walked into the studio, trembling, and did her first 'Wheel of Fortune.’ And here she is. Happy 40th, my dear.”
Sajak and White have an undeniable chemistry. In an exclusive interview with People, White noted that it was their instant “brother-sister type relationship” that caught the eye of media mogul Merv Griffin. “He saw that we would be able to get along, and we do. We are like a brother and sister team." Griffin was obviously spot-on in his assessment, because very few dynamic duos have as enduring a legacy.
The pair have become so close that as Sajak approaches retirement, White admits she laments thinking about replacing him. "I don't even want to think about that. I mean, we're a team," she told People. Everybody relates ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to Pat and Vanna. We're like Ken and Barbie, you know?" she explains. "We've been in everybody's homes for 40 years, so it would be weird having somebody else turn my letters."
Of course, Sajak will be missed, but White already held her own as the show’s temporary host back in 2019, pretty much saving the day after Sajak had an emergency surgery.Tonight’s my first night of hosting Wheel! I’m excited and nervous! Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/4Jsz3UePFp
— Vanna White (@TheVannaWhite) December 9, 2019
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she nailed it after only half an hour of rehearsal, considering no one besides Sajak would know the show better than her. Yes, her talent goes far beyond letter turning. Though still, nobody does it quite like her.
Congrats, Vanna. You’ve graced our television screens for decades, bringing joy with a simple turn of the wrist. How many people can say that?
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.