‘Wheel of Fortune’: Dance Mom Loses $65,000 After Kid Makes Ryan Seacrest Crack Up

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant Nyekiah Lewis on the game show on January 7, 2026
Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest cracked up at a response from a contestant’s daughter after she revealed what she wanted to spend her mom’s winnings on.

Nakeisha Lewis, from Chula Vista, California, played against Samantha Thomas, from Berea, New York, and Chad Sewich, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 7. Lewis is a dance mom and is competitive, especially in games like Uno and Sorry.

Sewich, a kickball, dodgeball, and cornhole player, solved both toss-ups for $3,000. Lewis tried to solve the first puzzle, but got the last word wrong, saying “Yard.” Thomas, a hunter and fisher, wound up solving “Playing Fetch in the Park” for $1,650.

On the next puzzle, Thomas landed on the Mystery Wedge three times, but chose not to pick it up to not risk a Bankrupt. But then she landed on the Bankrupt wedge anyway. The turn moved to Lewis, and she solved “Gentle Breeze and Manatees,” which gave her an extra $1,000.

Lewis solved the Prize Puzzle — “Exquisite Cuisine” — and won a cruise to Norway, giving her $13,608. Sewich solved two of three Triple Toss Ups, while Lewis solved the third one.

Sewich solved the final puzzle — “What’s Done Is Done” — and ended the game with $15,500. He was only $108 away from winning, as Lewis had $15,608. Thomas went home with $1,000.

Lewis chose “Thing” for her Bonus Round category. The game show contestant brought her daughters, Jordan and Niyah, as well as her husband, Justin, and her mom, Cheryl, with her.

“Now, kids. Mom’s got a lot of money won so far tonight. What would you like to spend it on?” Ryan Seacrest asked.

“Boba,” one of the daughters replied, which made the crowd and Seacrest laugh.

“Why don’t you get two of three while you’re at it? Those are teas,” the host explained. “We’ve got a place not too far from here, actually.” Seacrest slammed his hands on the wheel and laughed before Lewis spun it.

After being given “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” she chose “C,M,D, and A” to round out her puzzle. It then looked like “_ _ _ _C_AL  A_ _R_ _AL.”

She didn’t guess anything and couldn’t solve “Official Approval.” $50,000 was in the envelope, which would have given her a total of $65,108.

“Well, you can go for Boba teas after this,” Ryan Seacrest replied.

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