Photo: Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
The famous announcer, who has worked as a host with the New York Lottery for 32 years, is retiring, the organization announced onTwitterMonday.
Prior to her departure, Vega opened up about one of the most visible parts of her job — giving lucky lottery winners their massive cardboard checks — in a 2018 interview withFOX 40.
“I find out how they feel about winning, what led up to the winning,” she said of her experience chatting with new millionaires. “I find out details about them and it makes them feel comfortable because they’re looking at me. Don’t look at the audience, don’t look at the camera, just talk to me.”
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Vega also reflected on the very start of her career with the New York Lottery, telling FOX 40 that she first tried out the iconic pronunciation of her name six months into the job.
“I came in and I had drank a lot of Puerto Rican espresso and I was pumped up,” she recalled. “I said, ‘With the New York Lottery, I’m YOLAAANDA VEGAAAA.’ And they said, ‘Woah, what are you doing?’ And I said, ‘That’s who I am and I’m proud of who I am.’ "
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Vega discussed her eventual retirement from the lottery on theWendy Williams Showin 2019, where she was tapped to speak with hostWendy Williamswhile seated in the audience.
“I’ve been doing this [for] over 30 years. I’m the boss,” Vega told Williams, 57, who called the announcer “a New York icon.”
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Vega said her friends were retired and had been “pressuring” her to do the same — still, she insisted she wasn’t ready to step down from her role at the time.
source: people.com
