‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Gets Second Chance After Losing $92,000

A Wheel of Fortune contestant will get a second chance to try and win more money after they lost $92,000 in the Bonus Round. The top three winners from the week get to come back on Friday and compete again since it is iHeartRadio week.

For iHeartRadio week, the Wheel contestants will solve music-related puzzles and win music-related prizes, including festivals and trips. Then, on Friday, April 11, the top three winners from the week come back to try and win more money. They will play alongside multi-platinum artists Jason Derulo, Andy Grammer, and JoJo.

“It’s been incredible partnering with the iHeartRadio team, and we are grateful to the talented music artists who lent their talents to this week of shows,” said Bellamie Blackstone, Executive Producer of Wheel of Fortune, in a statement. “Bringing Ryan’s world into our game has been an exciting addition to Wheel of Fortune throughout this season.”

Jay Tope, from San Antonio, Texas, competed against More Taylor, from Richmond, Virginia, and Ruby Brisco, from Maple Grove, Minnesota, on Tuesday, April 8. Tope made it to the Bonus Round, but his brain hit pause when he tried to solve the puzzle.

Tope, a songwriter and big Miami Vice fan, solved the first toss-up — “Benefit Concert” — after Taylor shouted out the wrong answer. He won a trip to New York City, including a tour of the radio show Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, worth $7,500. Tope wore a Sonny Crockett-style jacket because he is a big fan of Don Johnson‘s character in Miami Vice.

For the first puzzle, Tope solved “Rap, Rock & Reggae.” Taylor, a big Beyonce fan, solved the next puzzle, which was a song title. By the end of the first break, Brisco, a recent graduate with a degree in musical theater and dance, had $0, Taylor had $2,500, and Tope led with $4,000.

Tope solved “The Best Seats in the House” and won a trip to Jingle Ball in Los Angeles in December. All three contestants solved one of the Triple Toss-Ups. Tope solved the final puzzle and became the night’s winner. He ended with $17,000 in cash and prizes. Taylor left with $4,500. Brisco went home with $2,000.

During the Bonus Round, host Ryan Seacrest let fans know that Tope is “definitely coming back on Friday.”

“Just blown away,” Tope said.

The game show contestant chose “What Are You Doing?” for the final category. After Wheel gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” he chose “G,L,H, and O,” but Seacrest told him that “L” was included in the letters already, so he had to pick again. Tope chose an “F.”

After that, his puzzle looked like “H_TT_NG  _ _ _SE.” Tope got the first word, “Hitting,” but couldn’t figure out the second. The puzzle was “Hitting Pause.” He lost out on an additional $75,000, which would have given him $92,000.

Tope talked to social media correspondent Maggie Sajak after the show and said that he is not going to change anything about his strategy when he comes back on Friday. With his current winnings, Tope plans to take his wife of 31 years on a honeymoon because they never got a proper one.

 

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Tope revealed to MSN that he has been a big fan of Wheel of Fortune since 1982. “Watched it with my parents, always watched it,” he told the outlet. “Anytime I was at their house, I was like 6:30, we’re watching Wheel of Fortune.”

He always wanted to be a contestant on the show but felt like time was running out as he got older. “So I decided I was going to go ahead and audition. 1.5 million people a year audition for this show, only 600 get chosen,” Tope said.

Tope, who is also a high school teacher, had to opportunity to be on Wheel two years ago, but the principal told him he couldn’t go because it fell during STAAR testing week.

But then he auditioned again, and the game show told him whichever day worked for him. He got to fly to California with his family and live out his dream. “You’re thinking that there’s no way that I’m actually here on the show with Vanna White clicking on letters, and Ryan Seacrest, who’s one my favorite people in the world, stand right next to them talking to me,” Tope told MSN. When he woke up the next day, he thought it was all a dream.

Wheel of Fortune, Weeknights, Check local listings