Vanna White ‘Price Is Right’ Throwback Shocks Fans
Long-time fans of Wheel of Fortune know that it wasn’t the first game show that Vanna White appeared on. While it was her first major television job, she was actually a contestant on another game show before she ever joined Pat Sajak. Vanna was called on down to compete on The Price is Right on June 20, 1980.
However, some fans are just now discovering this fun trivia, and here is a look at what Vanna did when she appeared on The Price is Right.
Vanna White & Her Price Is Right Experience
Vanna White was a contestant on The Price is Right in June 1980. She was 23 years old at the time and was called down to compete on the show. This was two years after she was a Miss Georgia USA pageant competitor. Vanna was one of the first four contestants called down to Contestant’s Row.
Vanna wore a very tight blue T-shirt with “Get Serious” on it. Host Bob Barker joked that one of the production hands backstage saw the shirt and responded, “Oh, I’m serious.” It was a little cringy, but Vanna laughed at the joke.
Sadly, Vanna White never made it up onto the stage. She made decent guesses throughout the game, but she never got a bid that allowed her to come onto the stage to play one of the games. However, she did make an impression, and the show invited her back later to be a guest model for prizes.
The Price Is Right even used the footage of Vanna White running down on its The Price Is Right 25th Anniversary Special in August 1996, and The Price Is Right Celebrates 50 Years in September 2021. Two years later, she was named the new co-host and letter-turner on Wheel of Fortune.
Fans Respond To Vanna White’s Price Is Right Appearance
Some fans just rediscovered the clip and shared it on Reddit. Fans swept into the comments to discuss her appearance and how things went for Vanna White on the rival game show.
Here is a sample of what some fans said about the clip:
- “And she didn’t win a doggone thing.”
- “oh wow she was really really beautiful but not very smart with those prices. lol”
- “That lady was turning heads way before she started turning letters. Simply perfect.”
- “It is kind of bizarre to see Vanna before she became a household name, and i can bet nobody at the time could have ever possibly imagined what was to come just over two years later”
Vanna White also paid tribute to Bob Barker when he died with a photo of her appearance (via Instagram). “When I moved to LA in 1980, I was on Price Is Right and met Bob Barker. Thank you Bob for introducing me to the game show world! We will miss you.”
Did you know about Vanna White’s Price is Right appearance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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