Mike White Gives Emotional Emmys Tribute to His 'Struggling' Dad Mel: 'I Love My Parents'
Mike White dedicated his first of three White Lotus Emmy Awards to his father.
As he accepted the award for outstanding directing for a limited series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, the 52-year-old briefly mentioned that his father, Mel White, is "struggling."
"I wanna thank my parents, I love my parents, my mom let me be the weird kid I wanted to be, and my dad who's struggling right now," White said of Mel, 82. "Thank you so much for letting me honor him tonight."
White didn't provide additional details on Mel's struggle, whether it be health concerns or personal discomforts.
White previously appeared on The Amazing Race's 14th installment with his father in 2009. The duo competed in three legs of the competition.
RELATED: The White Lotus Takes Home 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series
Chris Haston/NBC via Getty
But The Amazing Race wasn't White's only reality TV stint. The White Lotus creator was also featured on Survivor's 37th season — David and Goliath — in 2018. He went on to become the season's runner-up.
For more on the 2022 Emmy Awards, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
On Monday, White won back-to-back Emmy awards for writing and directing The White Lotus. He also brought home a third trophy for outstanding limited or anthology series.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty
Taking the stage for his second win of the night, White joked about his time on Survivor — and how big of a threat his back-to-back wins make him.
RELATED: Emmy Awards 2022: See the Winners!
Chris Haston/NBC via Getty
"I was on Survivor. And on Survivor, the way you stay in the game is to lower your threat level," he said. "Now, I feel like I've raised my threat level. I just want to stay in the game. Awards are great. I love writing; I love doing what I do. Don't come for me. Don't vote me off the island!"
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Other White Lotus awards given during the Emmys included outstanding supporting actor in a limited series to Murray Bartlett and outstanding supporting actress in a limited series to Jennifer Coolidge. Season 2 of The White Lotus is expected to premiere on HBO in October.
