Susan Stafford

Susan Stafford
Born (1944-01-27) January 27, 1944 (age 82)
Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupations
  • Game show co-host
  • author
  • clinical psychologist
  • chaplain
  • former model
Years active1970–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; div. 1975)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1976; ann. 1981)​
PartnerDan Enright (1983–1992; his death)

Susan Stafford (born January 27, 1944) is an American former model, actress and television host. She is best known as the original hostess of Wheel of Fortune whom she hosted alongside Chuck Woolery and later Pat Sajak from 1975 to 1982.

Early life

Stafford was born on January 27, 1944 in Lynn, Massachusetts. She grew up in Missouri and won several beauty contests as a teenager in Kansas City.

Career

Stafford was the original daytime hostess of the American game show Wheel of Fortune from January 6, 1975 until her departure on October 22, 1982. She returned to Wheel of Fortune in 1986 to substitute for Vanna White.

Stafford returned to television in 1988 as host of Alive, which aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network and in syndication. In 2003, Stafford made her first game show appearance since Wheel of Fortune, appearing on Hollywood Squares Game Show Week (Part 2).

Other work

In 2011, Stafford published her first book, Stop the Wheel, I Want to Get Off.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stafford started hosting a podcast entitled Out of the Box with Susan Stafford where she interviewed celebrities and industry figures of topics which ranged from career challenges to personal growth and wellness.

Personal life

In 1973, Stafford married radio pioneer Gordon McLendon, and was then married to Dick Ebersol of NBC Sports and Saturday Night Live in 1976. Ebersol and Stafford were married on a beach in Malibu. Their wedding was attended by John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and SNL producer Lorne Michaels. After they exchanged vows, Chase jokingly grabbed Stafford and threw her into the ocean. According to People magazine, "[they] parted 18 months later." Their marriage was annulled in 1981. Stafford later was a companion of game show producer Dan Enright from 1983 until his death in 1992.

Accolades

In 2005, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.

References

  1. ↑ Prieve, Michael (December 4, 2020). "THIS IS WHO TURNED LETTERS ON WHEEL OF FORTUNE BEFORE VANNA WHITE". Nicki Swift. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ Petty, Amber (April 13, 2018). "The Untold Truth Of Wheel Of Fortune". Looper. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  3. ↑ Mitchell, Marilyn. Walking with the Stars. BearManor Media.
  4. ↑ Lynch, Tess (April 30, 2014). "Dicespins, Spinoffs, and the Sad Tale of Susan Stafford: A 'Wheel of Fortune' Wormhole". Grantland. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  5. ↑ Agate, Samantha (June 13, 2023). "What Happened to Susan Stafford? See Where the Original 'Wheel of Fortune' Cohost Is Now". Closer Weekly. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  6. ↑ Greene, Bob (February 22, 1987). "THAT'S HOW 'WHEEL OF FORTUNE' SPINS". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Vanna White takes time off from 'Wheel of Fortune'". The Greenville News. June 1, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved October 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Stafford, Susan (2010). Stop the Wheel, I Want to Get Off!. Xlibris Corporation.
  9. ↑ Agate, Samantha (June 13, 2023). "What Happened to Susan Stafford? See Where the Original 'Wheel of Fortune' Cohost Is Now". Closer. Retrieved November 5, 2026 – via Yahoo! Entertainment.
  10. ↑ Dary, David. "MCLENDON, GORDON BARTON". tshaonline.org. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  11. ↑ Mitchell, Marilyn. Walking with the Stars. BearManor Media.
  12. ↑ Lemon, Richard. "Live from Litchfield! It's the Improbable Duo of Dick Ebersol and Susan Saint James". People. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  13. ↑ Potempa, Philip (July 6, 2008). "Susan St. James smiling for life's happier moments". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved October 3, 2020 – via nwitimes.com. Ebersol and Stafford where [sic] only married for a short time, from 1976 to 1981, before agreeing to have the marriage annulled.
  14. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (May 24, 1992). "Dan Enright, Key Figure in '50s Game Show Scandals, Dies at 74". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Stafford/Enright bows TV/pix unit". Variety. January 21, 1993. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  16. ↑ Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated