We all need little wins here and there to get through a life of social distancing and heartbreak during the coronavirus pandemic, but one lucky Wheel of Fortune winner doing important work in the real world got a special surprise from Vanna White.
The letter-toucher and occasional host of Wheel of Fortune went the extra mile to celebrate one winner from an episode the show taped earlier in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to safely tape new Wheel episodes. That winner, Arzo Mehdavi, took down a bonus puzzle worth $37,000 in an episode that aired on Thursday night.
The show posted a special thank you video for Mehdavi once it aired because she’s an emergency room nurse from Hayward, California, and happened to take home $57,000 on the night. She also got a special guest from White as a result. According to People, White dropped into Mehdavi’s watch party to thank the nurse for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show’s co-host White surprised Mehdavi and her crew with the virtual drop-in visit, to congratulate the winner and chat with her guests.
“If I can bring her any kind of joy for all the hard work and dedication she has given to so many, I would do it a thousand times,” White, 63, tells PEOPLE. “It’s just overwhelming what they are doing, so it makes me feel so good to give back just a touch. It’s nothing for what they do for us.”
To pull off the socially distant surprise, White used Zoom. “It’s the next best thing, right?” she says.
It’s a really nice gesture from White, especially during a time where celebrating little things has become difficult. Watching yourself appear on a game show is cause for celebration that might include a big house party, something that simply isn’t safe right now. But a visit from Vanna, even via Zoom, is a pretty cool consolation prize.
Oh, and the $57,000 probably helps a bit, too.
