‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant explains his risqué answer
Tavaris Williams went viral on "Wheel of Fortune" after a shocking answer. He explains the thought process that led to his surprising guess on the game show.
Vanna White’s son, Nikko Santo Pietro, cooked up a viral moment in the kitchen with his mom, sending fans into a frenzy for the "heartthrob."
Last week, Nikko appeared with White in an Instagram video showing the duo making a chicken dish in honor of Fabulous Food Week on "Wheel of Fortune."
Fans were quick to react to Nikko, calling him "handsome" and inquiring about his relationship status.
"Vanna where have you been hiding Nikko ? He’s GORGEOUS," one person wrote.
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Vanna White's son, Nikko Santo Pietro, went viral thanks to their cooking video where fans discovered he was "handsome." (2022 American Broadcasting Companies/Instagram)
Another simply said, "Your son is hot!!!"
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Nikko said the attention was "flattering."
"Obviously, I had an outpour[ing] from her fans just really being kind and saying all kinds of interesting stuff in the comments," he said.
Nikko, 30, who works in real estate with Mauricio Umansky, ex-husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kyle Richards, added, "I’ve always loved being in front of the camera, and I work really hard on my social media. That’s a big part of what I do, so it feels natural and good."
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But the attention isn’t going to his head.
"People see me as this heartthrob, and they’re thirsty for me and all this stuff. I love it all, but at the same time, it’s really good to remember the meaningful things in life and just kind of dial it back, doing a lot of charity work, working hard every day," he told the outlet.
White added, "He’s such a good kid!"
She continued, "I always taught both of my children, you have to work hard to get things, it’s not just given to you. And he’s doing it."
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White also shares a daughter, Gigi, with her ex-husband, restaurant owner George Santo Pietro.
If anyone was hoping to find love via DMs with Nikko, he confirmed he’s in a relationship already.
"I have an amazing girlfriend," he told ET. "She’s an absolute sweetheart. She’s a singer-songwriter. We’ve been together for a year. She wrote a song about me. It’s really sweet that she did that.
He added that his girlfriend, Easae, who titled the song about him "Karaoke," "obviously detected the heartthrob thing before America did."
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She also has mom’s approval, with White saying, "She’s so sweet, she really is, down-to-earth, loving, giving," White said.
Nikko’s viral attention is also potentially sparking a few more television appearances.
"I would love that," White said when asked if he would appear on "Wheel of Fortune." She noted Pat Sajak’s daughter, Maggie Sajak, has been on the show many times, including filling in for White while she took over Sajak’s role as host in 2020 when he underwent surgery. Maggie has also worked as the show’s social media correspondent since 2021.
"I don’t know how well I’d play the game, but I’d love to participate at some level," Nikko added.
Pat Sajak's daughter, Maggie, has appeared on "Wheel of Fortune" many times. (Christopher Willard/ABC)
White said Nikko has appeared on the show a few times, first when she was pregnant, and a handful of other special occasions, like holiday episodes.
"I love real estate, I think that real estate’s a really good foundation," Nikkos said of his career ambitions. "The way that I look at [it] is more like an entrepreneur and having multiple deals a year, it’s great to seed my projects and endeavors, hire social media managers, I’ve been paying for a professionally hosted website, and it’s just going to continue to grow. But I think entertainment’s really at my core … so it’s kind of fueling my passion."
He's also considering following in his father’s footsteps, saying, "My father is a restaurateur, and he had an iconic restaurant here in Los Angeles, and there is a part of me that would want to potentially continue that legacy.
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Either way, his goal is "More getting in front of the camera, building out my brand, my personal brand, and ultimately, it’s all about giving back and providing value to viewers."
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