Ryan Seacrest revealed a behind-the-scenes detail of the “Wheel of Fortune” set that longtime co-host Vanna White said she had never noticed.
Seacrest, 50, told a "Good Morning America" reporter on Sept. 5 that the familiar clicking noise heard when contestants spin the wheel is produced by rubber bands stretched across the mechanism. "Do you know the clicking sound? There are rubber bands — like you used to have with orthodontia on your teeth — that's what makes the clicking," he said. Ault, the reporter, peered into the colorful wheel, which consists of 24 pricing wedges, and confirmed he could see the bands Seacrest pointed out. White, 58, who entered her 43rd season on the show this month, reacted with surprise: "Do you know I never knew that?" Seacrest replied, "Well, welcome to season 43."
The exchange came as Seacrest and White were promoting the new season, which premiered Monday. Seacrest succeeded Pat Sajak after his retirement announcement in 2023 and is in his second season as host of the Emmy-winning game show. White, a fixture on the program since 1983, has appeared in more than 8,100 episodes and extended her contract through 2026, a renewal that TMZ reported came with a substantial pay increase.
White does not always stand beside contestants when they spin the wheel and said she enjoys the unpredictability of the taped games. She recalled stepping in as host for the first time in November 2019 when Sajak underwent emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. "We only had one rehearsal before we shot my first show, for timing and for my comfort level," she said in a 2019 interview, adding that she made "a few minor mistakes" unrelated to gameplay. She also noted practical issues she had to adapt to, such as difficulty reading the scoreboard from where she stood and asking for the font to be made larger.
The wheel itself is a central piece of the show's stage design and has evolved in appearance and construction over decades, but the mechanical detail that produces the click remains part of the on-air experience. Seacrest's description offered viewers an uncommon look at a small but distinctive production element that has become an auditory cue for generations of viewers.
White has long been associated with the letter-turning role and is widely recognized for her tenure on the show. In addition to her occasional hosting duties in emergencies, she has been a regular presence alongside Sajak and now Seacrest as the program continues to draw audiences to its mix of puzzle-solving and large-studio spectacle.
The admission also underscored how aspects of long-running television programs can remain unnoticed by even veteran cast members. Production teams often rely on small, engineered details — from lighting and camera placement to sound cues — to craft the rhythmic, familiar feel that viewers associate with legacy shows such as "Wheel of Fortune."