Vanna White’s son, Nikko Santo Pietro, is getting a kick out of the fact that he’s become a “heartthrob” to “Wheel of Fortune” fans.
Just days after Santo Pietro caused a commotion by appearing alongside White in a cooking video, the 30-year-old real estate agent told “Entertainment Tonight” he found the attention “flattering.”
“Obviously, I’ve had an outpour from her fans just really being kind and saying all kinds of interesting stuff in the comments,” Santo Pietro said during a joint interview with White.
Santo Pietro, whose dad is White’s ex-husband, George Santo Pietro, said navigating the attention was all in a day’s work for him. “I always loved being in front of the camera. I work really hard on my social media. That’s a big part of what I do. So it feels natural and good.
“A lot of it, too, (is) people see me as this heartthrob and they’re thirsty for me and all this stuff … I love it all,” he continued. “But at the same time it’s really good to remember the meaningful things in life and to just kind of dial it back and doing a lot of charity work, working hard every day.”
When “ET” wondered if any of White’s fans should try shooting their shot with him, Santo Pietro revealed he’s been dating singer-songwriter Easae for a year.
“She obviously detected the heartthrob thing before America did,” he joked.
Santo Pietro’s remarks come a few days after he appeared in a tight white T-shirt and blue jeans alongside White in a cooking video on her Instagram page that coincided with “Fabulous Food Week” on “Wheel of Fortune.”
Many of White’s fans appeared to focus more on Santo Pietro’s looks than the chicken dish he was preparing.
“Vanna where have you been hiding Nikko? He’s GORGEOUS,” wrote one person.