Vanna White‘s son, Nikko Santo Pietro, has been opening up about his parents’ relationship growing up, revealing how his dad, George Santo Pietro, remained a fan of Wheel of Fortune even after their divorce.
Nikko recently spoke with People alongside his mom, where they were asked if watching Wheel of Fortune was a family tradition back in the day. Despite being an iconic part of the game show for over 40 years and counting, White admitted they rarely watched Wheel at home.
“We didn’t watch Wheel of Fortune. Isn’t that terrible to say?” White told the outlet. “I mean, of course it would be if it was on, we would watch it, but we didn’t make a point to every night sit down and watch it. That’s a terrible thing for me to say.”
However, Nikko revealed that Wheel was often on in his dad’s house after White and George separated in the early 2000s following 12 years of marriage.
“You know what the truth is that when my mom and dad separated, my dad would watch Wheel of Fortune, so I watched it probably more than she did,” Nikko said.
“I didn’t know that,” White responded.
Vanna White and George Santo Pietro in 2018; Earl Gibson III/Getty Images
White shares two children with George: Nikko, 31, who works as a real estate agent in Los Angeles, California, and a daughter, Gigi, 27, who works as a tattoo artist in a studio in Venice, California. White divorced her restaurateur husband in 2002.
Nikko told People that he “loved” watching his mom on TV when he was growing up and still does. “I still love seeing her when I’m out at a place and the TV’s on and Wheel of Fortune‘s on, it always feels so good to see her do her thing,” he stated.
He also said she is “an amazing mother,” who is “no different at home” than she is in her warm and friendly presence on screen. “I would get recognized as Vanna White’s son. And for me it was always something really nice and that I felt proud to be a part of,” Nikko added.
Nikko revealed he often visited the Wheel set as a kid, riding around the studio on “a Razor scooter.” With so many memories associated with the show, Nikko said he still enjoys visiting the set.
“So I still pop in every now and then and get to see everyone and it’s like family,” he noted.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock