Wheel of Fortune’: School Lunch Lady Wins Car After Getting Second Chance

A school lunch lady won a brand new car and lots of cash on Wheel of Fortune two years after she turned down the chance to appear on the show.

Katie McCann, from Hauppauge, New York, played against Natalie Earl, from Chesterfield, Missouri, and Erik Bose, from Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, October 7. McCann has a three-year-old daughter named Brody, who wants to get paid in kisses every time her mom asks her to do something.

Earl, who once had a Wheel-themed birthday party, solved the first Toss Up for $1,000. McCann solved the second one — “Flower Garden” — for $2,000.

For the first puzzle, McCann took the lead with $5,900 after she solved “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” She also landed on the Dylan’s Candy Bar wedge, which gave her a year’s worth of candy.

Earl solved the second puzzle — “Comfort Food Fight”— and moved to second place with $4,650. McCann obtained a Wild Card in the round that she could use on the Bonus Round if she got there.

McCann solved the Prize Puzzle, which was “Sunshine on My Face,” and won a trip to St. Croix. She had a total of $17,614.

During the Triple Toss Ups, Earl solved two of them, putting $4,000 in her bank. Bose, a DJ, finally got on the board when he solved the last one for $2,000.

McCann had $18,964 in her bank when she solved the next puzzle, which was “One Smart Cookie.” She ended with $22,664 when she solved the final puzzle. Earl went home with $8,650. Bose took home $2,000.

For the Bonus Round, McCann chose “What Are You Wearing?” She had the Wild Card, so she was able to pick an extra consonant. The lunch lady brought her boyfriend, Mike, with her.

“So now when your three-year-old says ‘It’s gonna cost ya,’ you can actually pay up,” host Ryan Seacrest joked.

“Yeah. I’ve got a couple extra bucks in my pocket now,” the game show contestant agreed.

After Wheel of Fortune gave her “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” McCann picked “P,F,M,Y, and I.” Her puzzle then looked like “F_ _ _Y  SLIPPERS.”

McCann solved “Fuzzy Slippers” before the timer barely started. She won the Toyota Tacoma. This gave her a grand prize of $65,253.

The Smithtown Central School District posted about McCann’s win, revealing how she was given a second chance to appear on the show after turning it down previously.

The lunch lady spoke to them about her time on the game show. “I auditioned two years ago, and they wrote me back to meet the producers. I played an online game with them, and they said they liked my energy and invited me to appear on the show. I couldn’t make it at the time, but this past year they offered me the chance again, and I flew out and went on the show,” they posted on their Instagram.

McCann told the school district that being on Wheel was a “dream come true” since she has been watching the game show since she was a child. “It’s one of those things you think will never happen to you,” she told them.

After her win, McCann shared that she has been noticed more in school. “It’s very cool to be noticed. People who don’t normally come to the lunchroom are now coming down, so it’s fun. This job is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” she said.

Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock