Designing Women’s Annie Potts Will Star in Readings of White Lies

Tamara Tunie will direct the solo play from Elizabeth Dewberry.

Annie Potts

Annie Potts—known for her work on screen in Young Sheldon, Designing Women, and Ghostbusters—will star in industry readings of Elizabeth Dewberry’s White Lies.

Directed by Tamara Tunie (Spring Awakening, Radio Golf), the readings will be held January 23 at 11 AM and 3 PM at Open Jar Studios.

Set against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protests in Manhattan, the solo play explores the relationship between Sarah and her dying mother in Alabama. As Sarah attempts to bid farewell during the COVID-19 pandemic, suppressed memories from her Evangelical and racially charged Southern upbringing resurface.

Potts made her Broadway debut in Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning comedy God of Carnage and appeared in the long-running revival of Pippin. Her Off-Broadway work includes The Vagina Monologues, Diva, Love Letters, Charley’s Aunt, The Merchant of Venice, A Little Night Music, Cymbeline, and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.

Kevin Bailey and James Mellon of MB Artists, along with Michael Donovan, are producing.

‘The Cosby Show’ actor Geoffrey Owens ‘struggling’ to make living as ‘middle-class actor’

Geoffrey Owens, 63, is known for playing Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show.”
In 2018, Owens made headlines when photos surfaced of him working as a cashier at a New Jersey Trader Joe’s.
Countless celebrities supported Owen’s online and rapper Nicki Minaj gifted the actor $25,000.
During a recent interview with an Atlanta radio station, Owens said he is still struggling to make ends meet as a middle-class actor.

Six years after making headlines for working at a Trader Joe’s, “The Cosby Show” actor Geoffrey Owens is opening up once more about the reality of being a “middle-class actor.”

During an interview with Atlanta radio station V-103 earlier this month, Owens − who was promoting his new film, “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza” − said he is still struggling to make a living.

“I struggle every day to make my ends meet,” the 63-year-old Owens said. “People have a false impression of what the average, what I call ‘middle-class actor’ makes, and their ability to make a living in the industry.”

The average salary for an actor was about $62,000 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, although it’s unclear exactly what Owens makes. This included actors who participate in theatrical performances, in addition to television, radio, video and film productions.

Owens shares the screen in “Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza” with Tommy Davidson. Directed by Noel Calloway, the family-friendly Christmas movie is about a substitute teacher, known as Mr. Santa, arriving days before a high school’s Christmas show.

Looking back at his Trader Joe’s moment

Popularly known for playing Elvin Tibideaux on “The Cosby Show,” Owens made headlines in 2018 after a shopper snapped photos of him working at the register at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in New Jersey.

Many social media users viewed the circulation of photos by outlets like Fox News and Daily Mail as job shaming, but countless celebrities shared their support for Owen’s “good, honest work,” like former NFL player and actor Terry Crews.

Rapper Nicki Minaj even gifted $25,000 to Owens, who ended up donating the lump sum to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund), in honor of Earle Hyman, who played Bill Cosby’s father, Russell Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” according to USA TODAY reporting.

During his V-103 interview, Owens said he was recognized in public more often following the Trader Joe’s news than he was while actively playing in “The Cosby Show” during the 1980s and ’90s.

He also unveiled during his interview that he had quit working at Trader Joe’s right after the shopper snapped his photo and before the news broke, because he anticipated the reaction.

“It wasn’t like I quit because I knew I was going to be making a lot of money soon or anything,” Owens said. “I just felt like I wasn’t going to be able to handle that kind of scrutiny, that kind of attack on my privacy basically.”

What has Geoffrey Owens been in since ‘The Cosby Show’?

Though he most famously known for his role in “The Cosby Show,” in which he appeared in 128 episodes between 1985-1992, according to IMDb, Owens has played countless characters in other television shows and movies.

Owens is also known for his role as Lou in the 1994 comedy-drama, “The Paper,” and Rob Marcus in the 2009 romantic comedy “Play the Game.” Most recently, Owens has played as J.J. in the CBS sitcom, “Poppa’s House.”

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He’s also appeared in smaller roles in popular television series like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “That’s So Raven,” starring Raven-Symoné, who also starred in “The Cosby Show.”

‘The Voice’ Season 27 Reveals Celebrity Advisors for the Battle Rounds

It’s been several seasons since The Voice used celebrity advisors for its Battle Rounds, instead focusing on a single Mega Mentor to work with the coaches on the Knockout Rounds, but for the first time since Season 22 (2022), Season 27 will once again have advisors working with coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé for the Battles.

The job of the Battles advisors is to sit with the coaches during rehearsals to give constructive criticism to the artists as they prepare for their performance.

This season’s advisors include Cynthia Erivo mentoring Team Bublé, Kate Hudson counseling Team Adam, Coco Jones assisting Team Legend, and country greats Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook) working with Team Kelsea.

Coco Jones, John Legend. Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC

Cynthia Erivo, Michael Bublé. Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC

Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town. Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC

Kate Hudson, Adam Levine. Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC
In the Battles, each coach pairs up two members of their team in duets which determine which artist goes through to the Knockouts and which goes home. This season, each coach’s team will consist of 12 artists for the Battles.

The Voice Season 27 Battles begin on Monday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Stream next day on Peacock.

Instagram Model Claims Adam Levine “Che@ted On His Wife,” & Then Asked If He Could Name His Unborn Child After Her

Sumner Stroh/Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, has found himself in some hot water.

A story broke in the last day or so that he had allegedly cheated on his wife, former Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo, with Instagram and OnlyFans model Sumner Stroh.

According to her Instagram bio, Stroh is a Texas alum, and confirmed to Page Six that the affair took place “last year” when she “graduated college in 2021.”

Levine and Prinsloo have been married since July 19th, 2014, and recently announced on September 6th that they are expecting their third child together.

Stroh took to TikTok to share details on the affair, adding that Levine had recently tried to reconnect with her, asking via Instagram DM if he could name his child Sumner “if it’s a boy”:

“I was having an affair with a man who is married to a Victoria’s Secret model. At them time, you know, I was young, I was naive, I mean, quite frankly, I feel exploited. I wasn’t in the scene like I am now, so I got to be very easily manipulated.

Maroon 5 is practically elevator music at this point, so I’m sure you know who Adam Levine is. But Adam and I were seeing each other for about a year. After I stopped talking to him over a period of months, this is how he came back into my life.

He said, ‘Okay, serious question. I’m having another baby and if it’s a boy, I really wanna name it Sumner. You ok with that? DEAD serious.’ I was like, I’m in Hell… like I have to be in Hell at this point.

My morals were unknowingly compromised, I was completely manipulated. I wanted to handle this privately, I never wanted to come forward, because obviously I know the implications that come with doing what I do, making money the way I do being an Instagram model. So being tied to a story like this, it’s like, I know the stereotypes.”

She added that she had “recklessly” sent screenshots of her DM’s with Adam to a few friends she trusted, but that one close friend tried to sell them to a tabloid.

Here’s the now extremely viral TikTok video:

Watch on TikTok

A TikTok user left this comment on the first video, saying:

“It’s no secret he’s been married for over a decade. The only victim here is his wife and children.”

To which Sumner followed it up with what she says is an “obviously necessary” response, saying in part:

“Hindsight is 20/20. I initially wanted to go in and talk about how remorseful I feel and how embarrassed and disgusted I am with myself, but I didn’t want people to look at it and think ‘Oh, she’s playing the victim.’

But in reality, it had the opposite effect.”

She doubled down on the claim that she had a friend trying to sell the story to tabloids, adding that she thought Adam’s marriage was over at the time of their affair.

She claims she cut things off as soon as she realized that was not the case, and that he was, in fact, still married:

“In retrospect, I wish I would’ve questioned things more, I wish I wasn’t so naive. But, you know, being naive is not an excuse for what I did and the role I played in this…

I’m not the one who’s really getting hurt here, it’s Behati and her children. And for that I’m so, so sorry.”

Levine, or his wife, have yet to publicly comment on the claims.

He left his longtime spot on NBC’s The Voice a few years ago, where he was a judge alongside country singer Blake Shelton, for many years.

He then began co-executive producing the NBC show Songland, which premiered in May 2019 and ran through 2020.

Kelsea Ballerini Reveals Details Of Her & Morgan Evans’ Divorce With Heartbreaking Short Film, ‘Rolling Up The Welcome Mat’

Ballerini also responded to ex-husband Morgan Evans’ track “Over For You” within the EP’s lyrics.

Kelsea Ballerini, Photo Courtesy of Instagram

After dropping her 2022 Subject To Change album, Kelsea Ballerini returns with what is inarguably her most intimate release yet – an EP titled, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. The vulnerable six-track offering finds the singer/songwriter breaking up a fallen romance into chapters as she closes the door on a life she once knew and shared with ex-husband Morgan Evans.

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The EP comes with a deeply personal new short film, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. In the film, Ballerini gives fans a deeper perspective into her emotional romantic journey over the past few years as she goes through the process of dealing with the changes that come with starting over.

Ballerini carefully constructed Rolling Up The Welcome Mat as the writer and director of the film, working alongside director Patrick Tracy. She wrote three of the six songs solo and collaborated with Alysa Vanderheym on three more tracks.

“I was writing by myself for most of the project, and it was nice to trust myself again,” Ballerini shares in a press release. “The only way I’ve been able to handle my life since I was 12 was to write about it. Ironically, I started writing music because my parents got divorced; that was my therapy. Rolling Up The Welcome Mat was how I processed everything. It’s the way I got my feelings out of my body and heart and put them to music, which is the purest way I could’ve handled it.”

The 20-minute masterpiece, which debuted at Midnight on Valentine’s Day, comes nearly three months after she officially finalized her divorce from Evans.

Kelsea Ballerini Will Soon Hit The Road

On Feb. 23 Ballerini will launch the UK leg of her HEARTFIRST tour, which comes in support of her fourth studio album, Subject To Change. The trek will visit Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, and London. Following the sold-out mini trek, Ballerini will return to the states for the US leg of the tour, with nine new headline shows across North America. The US leg of her Heartfirst tour begins on March 6 at History in Toronto, ON, and will wrap on March 18 in Pittsburgh, PA, at Stage AE.

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Later this year, Ballerini will hit the road with her longtime friend and musical hero, and “Half Of My Hometown” collaborator, Kenny Chesney, on the I Go Back Tour. The trek will visit 21 cities and will kick off on March 25 in State College, PA.

“Music has taken me so many incredible places,” Ballerini said. “Around the world, singing with some of my heroes in pop, alternative and contemporary music, but singing with Kenny is going home. He was the only voice I heard on ‘half of my hometown,’ and when he comes in, it’s just like hitting the Knoxville city limits. So to be able to go out to those cities like the place he and I grew up with an artist who’s accomplished what he has, it’s a lot like going home.”
Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Courtesy of Ballerini Instagram

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For a complete list of upcoming tour dates, visit Kelsea Ballerini’s official website.

Country music star Kelsea Ballerini shares worrying video from hospital bed

The Half of my Hometown singer had surgery

Kelsea Ballerini is on a high following her show-stopping performance with Dolly Parton at the ACM Awards on Monday.

But back in January, the country music singer appeared to be experiencing a different high altogether as she shared a “concerning” video from her hospital bed. The 28-year-old uploaded a clip of herself appearing very confused as she battled with the effects of anesthesia following an unknown surgery.

Kelsea joked about the effects anesthesia had on her

In the video posted on Instagram, Kelsea seems to have just woken up from her “non-invasive procedure” and is still disorientated from the medicine, appearing confused by her surroundings.

“I think I drooled so they took my mask off – so embarrassing,” Kelsea slurred. “I don’t know why I have a ring on… uh-oh,” she added, confusing a medical wire for her jewelry.

“There’s no clocks in here, I don’t know why there’s no clocks in here… I need some nuggets,” she added.

© Photo: Getty Images

Kelsea looked gorgeous at the ACM Awards

Once the effects of the anesthesia had worn off, Kelsea posted the video alongside the caption: “Today we learned anesthesia makes me drool through my mask, mistake a blue wire for a ring, have increased concern about where clocks are placed, struggle to bring peace signs into 2022, and above all, want some nuggets.”

While she didn’t share why she was in the hospital, she reassured her fans that there was no cause for concern.

“Went in for a non-invasive procedure, yes everything is fine moving on and @vanderbilthealth and their staff are really lovely,” she added.

© Photo: Getty Images

Kelsea and Dolly Parton performed together at the ACM Awards

Meanwhile, Kelsea and Dolly received rave reviews from viewers following their rendition of Big Dreams and Faded Jeans on Monday.

“Okay this duet is iconic though,” one fan posted on Twitter, while another said: “Loving this duo. Kelsea Ballerini is out there living her best life and big dreams with Dolly Parton.”

Ryan Seacrest Shocks Fans With Dramatically Different Look in ‘American Idol’ Promo

Jesse Grant/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Ryan Seacrest has sparked a big reaction after he debuted a dramatically different and unexpected look in the latest American Idol promo.

The Wheel of Fortune host is known for his dapper looks, usually combining a smart suit with neatly trimmed hair and a clean-shaven face. However, a new promo for the upcoming 23rd season of American Idol, premiering on March 9, sees Seacrest sporting a much more casual appearance.

In the video, which features Seacrest’s mom, Constance, the long-time host is seen wearing a loose-fitting, green floral button-down shirt with the top buttons undone and a pair of light blue jeans. More surprisingly, he’s grown out his hair and has a thick beard!

“Surprise, it’s your biggest fan,” Constance says in the clip as she appears on a screen behind Seacrest.

“Mom, what show is this?” he asks her.

“This… is American Idol,” she responds, mimicking her son’s famous introduction to the ABC competition series.

Fans who are used to seeing a sharper-dressed Seacrest were shocked by the new look and took to the Instagram comments to share their reactions. And it’s safe to say the opinion was split.

“Love the beard and longer hair,” wrote one commenter.

American Idol Instagram

“Ryan with the facial hair,” said another alongside a shocked face emoji.

“I want to look like Ryan when I grow up,” quipped another.

Another wrote, “Bearded @ryanseacrest wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card.”

American Idol Instagram

“That beard has got to go Ryan!” said another viewer who was not so taken by the new look.

“Looks like he’s turning into another “Bro” just like Zuckerburg. Apparently, all it takes is growing out their hair and putting on jeans!” wrote another.

However, another disagreed, writing, “I like the beard! Very handsome!”

“Looking quite different there Ryan @ryanseacrest but still charming as always,” said one commenter.

Another added, “Looking awesome.”

Seacrest is currently hosting Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune, sporting his traditional suit-and-tie, clean-shaven look. He’ll return to host Idol for its 23rd season beginning March 9, alongside returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie and Katy Perry‘s replacement, Carrie Underwood.

What do you think of Seacrest’s new look? Let us know in the comments section below.

Is Vanna White Engaged? A Recent Instagram Video Suggests That Her Long-Term Boyfriend May Have Proposed

The “Wheel of Fortune” co-host flashed a diamond ring on that finger in the montage.

Bravo / Contributor / Getty Images

A trip with your close friends is an opportunity to get away from the chaos of your everyday life—spending time catching up, basking in the sun, and, in Vanna White’s case, hinting at your engagement status.

After White shared an Instagram video documenting her recent vacation to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her girlfriends, some viewers quickly spotted a new addition to the Wheel of Fortune star’s left hand: a glittering diamond ring.

 

Xem bài viết này trên Instagram

 

Bài viết do Vanna White (@officialvannawhite) chia sẻ

In a conversation with Ryan Seacrest that unfolded on the show, White describes her trip as a video montage plays in the background. “All right, there we are having a good time on the boat,” she says. “We’re walking on the beach talking about old times.” The video then cuts to a shot of White sitting on the sand with her arms slung over her legs—with a diamond on her left ring finger. “That’s a lot of friends,” Seacrest comments as the clips play. “Yeah!” White responds.

“We dance, we go out, have a great time,” she adds. “We’re doing a cheer there. We all were cheerleaders, and we were just reminiscing about the good old days.” The final seconds of the Instagram Reel show White holding a finger up to her lips. “I’m saying ‘Shh! Whatever happens in North Myrtle Beach, stays in North Myrtle Beach,’” she tells her co-host. The Wheel of Fortune star captioned the post with the same comment, adding a winking face emoji and a pink heart.

While the co-host of Wheel of Fortune started dating John Donaldson in 2012, the two have not yet announced plans to marry. “I mean, we’ve been together 12 years, and I feel like we are married,” she told People in 2023. “Do we have to get married? No, because we feel comfortable in our relationship. You know what I mean? I know that he’s the one. He knows I’m the one.” However, in the same conversation, she made it clear that tying the knot wasn’t off the table for the duo. “We don’t really talk about it, but you never know,” she told the outlet. “I mean, I guess we could, but in my eyes and his eyes, we are married.”

Rich Fury / Staff / Getty Images

White credited the success of their long-term relationship to their similarities. “[He] is the male version of me,” she told People. “We really are very similar. We get along so well. He’s easy. He’s easy, and he lets me be me, and I let him be him.” She also pushed for others to have a similar expectation of their partner. “Don’t be in a relationship because you’re lonely, because if you’re not happy, you’re still lonely,” she offered as a piece of advice in her conversation with the outlet. “Just be who you are, and don’t let anybody change who you are. It’s nice when they make you feel good about yourself, or they love who you are as a person and don’t want to change you. It’s got to be easy.” Prior to dating Donaldson, White was married to George Santo Pietro, a restauranteur, from 1990 to 2002. The pair share two children.

Vanna White’s Final Spin. She’s settled into a delightful era of senioritis on Wheel of Fortune. America isn’t ready to let go.

For a moment there, it seemed like the Vanna White story was going to end ugly. The 67-year-old presenter is the final standard-bearer of America’s game-show golden age—a TV generation that has been largely cleaned out by Bob Barker’s death, Pat Sajak’s departure, and the protracted succession battle for the Throne of Trebek. Left behind is an ersatz fleet of programming that, while the fault of nobody in particular, is a little cold to the touch.

The ideal game show viewing experience should evoke memories of running a fever in your childhood bedroom at high noon, watching bleary-eyed as a trio of panelists guesstimate the retail cost of a vacuum cleaner. But Drew Carey is never going to become synonymous with The Price Is Right, and the selection of Ryan Seacrest for the Wheel of Fortune podium seemed specifically designed to lock the brand in institutional decline. (Ken Jennings, now on Jeopardy!, is a different, more complicated subject.) That makes Vanna White the last icon standing—a holdover from a glitzier time—and in the twilight of her career, she is asserting her own value more than ever.

In 2023, with Sajak headed for the exit and her own contract nearing its conclusion at Sony, reports surfaced that the once and future vowel merchant had not received a raise on her $3 million annual salary in 18 years. That’s a far cry from the $15 million Sajak was reportedly taking home, so White headed into negotiations for her next contract with the intention of leveling the playing field.

In the end, Wheel of Fortune blinked. White will be around for at least the next year after inking a contract extension lasting until 2026, with provisions that include the pay raise she coveted.

When the show returned last September with Seacrest as host, there were rumors of backstage tension between the new on-air pair. If that’s true, you can’t really tell. In fact, you could say that Vanna had gracefully embraced her senioritis era. The woman never held the heftiest job in show business; she touches letters, she maintains a vast wardrobe of sparkling floor-length dresses, she flashes telegenic grimaces to contestants who brick out on a consonant. (She has blithely joked about this fact herself for years: “I can’t say that it is a hard job, because it’s not,” she said in 2018.) But her relationship with Sajak—the subject of loosely sourced romantic intrigue for decades, and perhaps the show’s primary cultural draw—is no longer a daily performance.

So it seems like a mostly checked-out Vanna is here to cash a few more checks while kindling a fine wooden chemistry with Seacrest for a couple of seasons before disappearing into the middle distance of a glorious Malibu sunset. The easiest job in broadcasting has somehow gotten even easier.

The day of her departure is surely coming sooner than later. Over the last several seasons of Wheel of Fortune, Maggie Sajak—the 29-year-old daughter of the venerable game show host—has been not-so-subtly groomed as a potential heir to White when she decides to hang up her heels. Maggie stepped onto the set in 2020 while her father was recovering from surgery in order to take on some hosting duties, and, more portentously, to touch some of those letters herself.

(Today, Maggie serves as the show’s “social media correspondent,” which is a makework gig for old-money Hollywood nepo babies if I’ve ever heard one.) A furtive continuity plan for an aging superstar tends to be the stuff of relentless tabloid titillation, but Vanna herself has gestured toward this inevitability. Shortly after locking in the terms of her new deal, White conceded to E! that Maggie could make for a “good replacement” at the board. And in a pointed, Substance-tinged Instagram post last August, Maggie—who uncannily resembles a younger, blonder Vanna—swapped gowns with Wheel of Fortune’s matriarch and beckoned the commenters to guess which dainty number belonged to who. It was both an enormous body flex and, for longtime fans, a reminder that the sharks are circling.

Is Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune an odd thing to mourn? The comments on Reddit and Instagram that brace for the emotional impact of her retirement can seem a little absurd. But beyond childhood nostalgia, an older generation remembers Vanna the breakout star, and more importantly, Vanna the sex symbol. She was a woman worthy of a bestselling (if content-light) memoir; whose teased bangs appeared on a promenade of checkout-aisle magazine covers across the country throughout the 1980s. (“Vanna White—Her Seduction of America,” announced a headline in a 1989 issue of TV Guide, alongsi

Vanna White Reveals Reunion With Pat Sajak & ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Secrets

Elvis Duran Show via YouTube

Vanna White and her son, Nikko, appeared on the Elvis Duran Show to talk all things Wheel of Fortune. She revealed how she auditioned for the game show, her recent reunion with Pat Sajak, and secrets of the show on the Tuesday, March 4 episode of Elvis’ show.

White told the hosts that she has never worn the same outfit twice on the show and never will. This means that she has had to come up with 8,000 outfits for 8,000 episodes. The hostess also said that they only film 34 days out of the year. Each day, however, is filled with six games being filmed. There are 250 to 300 people in each audience. White also revealed that a few years ago, the letters turned motion-activated, and all she has to do now is wave her hand in front of it.

Although there are no set rules for contestants, they are told not to scream and to speak clearly and slowly. “As long as they can hear you, you don’t have to yell,” she said. “I feel for them. They’re nervous to begin with. Most of them are from small towns and were never in the spotlight.”

Duran asked her if there was some adjustment going from Sajak to Ryan Seacrest, in which white replied, “Of course, not just for me, but for everyone who watches.”

“Pat decided to retire. I saw him a few weeks ago. He looks happy. He looks great. Ryan took over, and he’s doing a great job,” she said. “He told me, ‘No one could ever replace Pat Sajak. I’m just here to fill in.’”

“He’s doing a fine job,” White said.

After 42 years, White revealed how she got the job. “I went to a taping of Dance Fever, which was a Merv Griffin show. Janet Jones, now Janet Gretsky, was one of the dancers. I said to Janet, ‘Can you introduce me to somebody? This is a Merv Griffin show. I hear they’re looking for a replacement on Wheel. And she introduced me to Merv’s right hand man.”

“I said, ‘Can I come in for an audition? He said, ‘You call me on October 5 at 10 o’clock and we haven’t made a decision, you can come in.’ 10 o’clock I called him and I went in for the audition. Being at the right place at the right time,” she said.

White also revealed that she was on The Price is Right when she was younger, but “didn’t win a dang thing.” However, she said she wouldn’t want to be on a game show now because it would be turning her back on Wheel. “I’m loyal,” she said.