Maggie Sajak calls Vanna White “Aunt Vanna”—jokingly, she says, but with a history behind the name: Maggie has known White since before she was born. They grew up connected through the Sajak family’s long association with Wheel of Fortune, and later worked together on the show. During one week when White temporarily hosted as Pat Sajak recovered from surgery, Maggie took over puzzleboard duties.
Why Maggie Sajak calls Vanna White “Aunt Vanna”
In a Us Weekly interview published September 26, 2024, Maggie described White as “Aunt Vanna,” then qualified the label: “Jokingly, we say she’s Aunt Vanna, but I really have known her since before I was born.” It is a family-like nickname, not a claim that White is Maggie’s literal aunt.
The closeness makes sense in the context of their shared history. Maggie is Pat Sajak’s daughter and appeared on Wheel of Fortune as a one-year-old, accompanying her father, according to the show’s official biography of Maggie. White and Pat worked together on the program for decades; in a Good Morning America interview on November 17, 2023, White said, “I think of Pat as family and always will.”
Maggie also described enjoying time with White at work and bringing her into TikTok videos. “She’s great, I love being able to see her now at work,” Maggie told Us Weekly. “We have a lot of fun, I pull her into TikToks I’m doing and things like that, so she’s the best.”
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- Includes: Game wheel, puzzle board, 3 puzzle board frame pieces, 2 puzzle board feet, 25 puzzle cards (100 puzzles), 75 play money bills, dry-erase letter tracker, dry-erase marker, and instructions.
- Spin, Guess, Solve: The Wheel of Fortune Deluxe Game brings the excitement of the iconic TV show to the table as players spin the wheel, pick letters, and solve puzzles to win!
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- Watch Out for BANKRUPT: Spin the wheel for cash, but beware—landing on BANKRUPT wipes out your round’s earnings.
What happened when White temporarily hosted
When Pat Sajak was recovering from surgery, White hosted Wheel of Fortune for a week and Maggie handled the puzzleboard, the official show biography says. The roles were distinct: White took the host’s place, while Maggie performed the puzzleboard duties. Maggie did not replace White as the show’s letter-turner or become a permanent host.
How Maggie’s show role developed
Maggie’s connection to the program continued beyond her early childhood appearance. Good Morning America reported in June 2024 that she joined the show team as social correspondent in 2021. In that role, she interviewed her father ahead of his final episode.
Rank #2
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At Pat’s farewell, he thanked Maggie for their work together. The Associated Press reported on June 7, 2024 that Pat called collaborating with her the “best part of the last couple of years.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The surgery week was not the retirement handoff
The temporary hosting week and Pat’s eventual retirement are separate events. White filled in while Pat recovered from surgery; years later, Pat’s last episode aired in June 2024. The AP reported that he had hosted for 41 years and appeared in more than 8,000 episodes. Ryan Seacrest succeeded him as host, while White continued as co-host. Maggie’s temporary puzzleboard duties belonged to the earlier surgery-recovery week, not to the later change in host.
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Rank #3
- GAME SHOW: Enjoy America's favorite game show with this Wheel of Fortune card deck. Shuffle the deck & flip your way through the wheel. Call out a letter & try to solve the puzzle in the puzzle deck.
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