Vanna White’s Son Nikko Santo Pietro Says His Dad Still ‘Would Watch Wheel of Fortune‘ After His Parents’ Split

White tells PEOPLE she “didn’t make a point” of watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’ with her children, but would “of course” watch it if it was on

There was nothing but love and support in Nikko Santo Pietro’s household growing up!

During a joint interview with her son for PEOPLE’s first-ever Generations issue, on newsstands now, Vanna White’s son Nikko says his dad, George Santo Pietro, was still a fan of Wheel of Fortune even after his parents split in the early 2000s.

From White’s perspective, she teases that her family members weren’t avid watchers of the beloved game show.

“We didn’t watch Wheel of Fortune. Isn’t that terrible to say?” the Wheel of Fortune co-host, 68, admits with a laugh. “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.”

From left: Niko Santo Pietro, Gigi Santo Pietro, Vanna White, and George Santo Pietro attend The Paley Center For Media Presents: Wheel Of Fortune: 35 Years As America’s Game at The Paley Center for Media on November 15, 2017 in New York City.

However, Nikko, 31, was still able to get his Wheel of Fortune fix another way.

“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,” he says, referring to his parents’ split in 2022 after 12 years of marriage.

“I didn’t know that,” his mom confesses.

When asked what it was like to see his mom on TV growing up, the Los Angeles-based real estate agent — who caught social media’s attention with an Instagram post of him cooking alongside White — says, “I loved it. Yeah, I still love it. 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.”

Referring to her as “America’s sweetheart,” Nikko says his mom is the same way on and off camera.

“It’s no different at home,” he says. “She is an amazing mother, so 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.”

From left: Vanna White and Nikko Santo Pietro at Hulu’s Get Real House held at Casa Lago on April 22, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

For more from Vanna White and her son Nikko Santo Pietro, plus more famous families, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.   

As for how it impacted his school experience, he acknowledges, “I was kind of the cool kid. I mean, of course growing up with a celebrity mother is always interesting for people. So again, I loved it. She’s known for all the right things.”

Despite being the spotlight, White shares that it was important to her to separate her professional and home life.

Vanna White on ‘Watch What Happens Live’.Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

“Both of my children, I raised them just to be normal, just normal kids, they aren’t spoiled,” she says of Nikko and his sister Gigi, 28, who she shares with George. “They didn’t get everything they wanted, they had to work for what they wanted. And so we are just kind of normal.”

“I bake cookies sometimes or Nikko cooks or we play games at home or do things together,” she adds.

While he had a grounded upbringing, Nikko was also a frequent visitor to the set of Wheel of Fortune.

“I used to go to set all the time as a kid,” Nikko recalls. “I remember I had a Razor scooter that I would go around the set on and even when… The show’s been going since I was a kid. So even when I was an infant, a baby, I was going to set.”

“So I still pop in every now and then and get to see everyone and it’s like family,” he adds.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights (check local listings) and is available to stream the next day on Peacock and Hulu.