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    Pat Sajak: Vanna White and I were drunk on "Wheel of Fortune"

    Reuters – Thu, 26 Jan, 2012
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    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak has said in a broadcast interview that he and fellow host Vanna White were drunk when they taped some early episodes of the show, but that he is too old for that now.

    The 65-year-old Sajak made the revelation in an appearance earlier this week on cable network ESPN2's show "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable."

    "When I first started and was much younger and could tolerate those things, we had a different show then," Sajak said in the broadcast interview.

    Sajak explained that during the production of those "Wheel of Fortune" shows, he and co-host Vanna White would take two and a half-hour breaks while prizes were loaded onto the set in Burbank, California. So, they would go to a nearby restaurant and have "great margaritas," he said.

    "Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six (margaritas), and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," Sajak said on the program.

    Sajak further explained that he no longer mixes alcohol and his hosting duties.

    "Now, if I were to inhale the cork and a bottle of wine I would probably keel over, I'm getting a little older for this," he said.

    Sajak and White have hosted "Wheel of Fortune" since 1983.

    (Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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    359 comments

    • tyler
      tyler  •  Annapolis, United States  •  27 days ago
      At least he wasn't drinking behind the wheel. Whew!
    • Ben Dover
      Ben Dover  •  27 days ago
      Pat Sajak only plays a mild-mannered, innocuous game show host on TV. He's really a very funny, quick-witted comic who got a dream job and is enjoying every minute. Good for him.
    • A Yahoo User
      A Yahoo User  •  27 days ago
      HEY PAT - we were drunk while WATCHING.
    • Matthew
      Matthew  •  27 days ago
      From my, admittedly vague, recollection of the 1980s, wasn't everyone always drunk?
    • cjc
      cjc  •  27 days ago
      Vanna looks great for 54. And she probably gets paid very well for walking across the set - in addition to 2 1/2 hour breaks. Not a bad job.
    • scoots
      scoots  •  Rancho Cucamonga, United States  •  26 days ago
      I used to watch the show occasionally with my parents and it never really rubbed off on me. But they must be doing something right, it's still on after all of this time, drunk or sober!
    • trhudson
      trhudson  •  27 days ago
      If I went for a Nooner with Vanna we would have been doing more than drinking margaritas!
    • Bud
      Bud  •  Columbus, United States  •  27 days ago
      standard for the times...hell you used to be able to smoke in the grocery store and put out cigs on the floor in the produce department
    • Yahoo! User
      Yahoo! User  •  Santa Ynez, United States  •  27 days ago
      I KNEW IT!!!!!!!
    • George K Jr
      George K Jr  •  27 days ago
      I'm more impressed they have a personal relationship that extends beyond the niceties for the cameras. It doesn't always.
    • rindy
      rindy  •  27 days ago
      Maybe it was the vowels that pressured both of them to drink........
    • Semper Fi...
      Semper Fi...  •  26 days ago
      The past 30 years has been a magnificent record of these two....and they both look and act terrific....there are none to compete against them.....what was the question again??????
    • PointMaker
      PointMaker  •  27 days ago
      That explains a lot. I have to get drunk to watch it.
    • ozz
      ozz  •  Eloy, United States  •  27 days ago
      Too bad they stopped drinking, the show isn't nearly as good as it was when they first started.....it is interesting, I have not missed a show since day one, I think that they are both very professional and when the day comes for them to retire, they do it together and get drunk!!
    • Justanother Guy
      Justanother Guy  •  27 days ago
      Luck_ _asturd
    • D. Bell
      D. Bell  •  St Paul, United States  •  26 days ago
      ROTFLMBAO! What else did you and Vanna decide to do on your 2 1/2 hour breaks? I always thought Vanna was to prissy for that kind of stuff but a little mexican yak ain't bad, now if he said they blowed trees I'd die laughing!
    • thegigisup
      thegigisup  •  26 days ago
      i guess RSTLN and E stood for Rumplemints, Stoli, Tequila, Long Islands, Naps, and Everclear.
    • HolyShinto
      HolyShinto  •  Rockville, United States  •  27 days ago
      I bet he waxed that arse too!
    • Kidd Can
      Kidd Can  •  Tampa, United States  •  27 days ago
      wonder what else happened with those 2 while they were screwed up????
    • Dbcapitalist
      Dbcapitalist  •  Mentor, United States  •  26 days ago
      I remember Match Game they were all drinking cocktails on the set so it was reported
     Post a comment
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