A Wheel of Fortune contestant lost out on taking home $57,000 during the Bonus Round. Her friends doubted her before she spun the wheel and thought she was going to fall over it, leading to host Ryan Seacrest making a big confession.
Joanna Fabicon, from Los Angeles, California, played against Rachel Gleske, from Fleming Island, Florida, and Zavonte Stephens, from Chicago, Illinois, on January 2. Fabicon is a librarian and lecturer for UCLA’s Library School.
Gleske, a woman who dressed up her kids as Vanna White and the Wheel of Fortune wheel for Halloween, solved the first toss-up, putting $1,000 in her bank. Stephens, an avid bowler, took the lead when he solved the second one.
After Stephens guessed most of the letters for the first puzzle, Gleske swooped in when he picked the wrong letter and solved “Player, Coaches, & Referees” for $3,750. The same thing happened on the next puzzle when Gleske solved most of the puzzle. She then guessed a wrong letter, and the turn moved to Fabicon, who solved “My Patience Is Wearing Thin Socks,” giving her $1,000.
Fabicon won the Prize Puzzle — “Thousands of Islands” — and won a trip to Greece, giving her $13,108. She took even more of a lead when she solved two of the three Triple Toss-Ups. Stephens solved the third one.
Gleske solved the final puzzle — “An Exact Replica” — which gave her a final total of $8,700. Stephens took home $4,000.
Fabicon was the night’s winner with $17,108. She chose “Event” for her Bonus Round category.
The game show contestant brought her mom and two of her best friends with her to cheer her on. After host Ryan Seacrest greeted them, one of her friends said, “We’re just glad she didn’t fall into the wheel, Ryan. We were genuinely scared.”
“We are too,” the host confessed.
“They don’t trust you,” Seacrest told Fabicon.
“They really don’t,” she shook her head.
“Well, you can’t fall into this one. It’s pretty high,” Seacrest said of the Bonus Round wheel.
After being given “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” she chose “D,H,M, and O.” Her puzzle then looked like “O_TDOOR _ _ _N_ _.”
Fabicon could figure out “Outdoor” but couldn’t solve the second word, which turned out to be “Picnic.”
She lost out on taking home an additional $40,000. “Noooo,” she said, putting her hands up to her head.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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