After serving as the smiling turner (or toucher) of letters since 1982, Wheel of Fortune personality Vanna White is temporarily hosting the long-running game show as regular host Pat Sajak recovers from surgery.
White's amiable personality shone through on her first episodes, writes Los Angeles Times television critic Robert Lloyd.
"White, in a black dress set off with sequined red roses, was particular and precise and intently focused Monday, charged up and wide awake, which in itself made for an interesting change from Sajak, who could host the show in his sleep," Lloyd writes. "And when she slipped, she was merely charming."
White's temporary ascension to host is a small glass ceiling-breaking moment, especially since men dominate game show hosting jobs. Ironically, many famous male game show hosts, from Wink Martindale to Chuck Woolery to Ben Stein, are also died-in-the-wool conservatives. That list also includes Sajak, who donates to Republicans and raised many eyebrows with tweets from a half-decade ago that suggested climate change is a hoax.
Sajak now avoids being overtly political, though his Twitter bio describes him as such: "Game show host, icon, former sexagenarian. Him/he/you guys."
Some of his recent tweets showcase an offbeat sense of humor that could be described as internet troll-ish:
