‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Reveals How He Won $60,000 on Show After Chance Encounter
A chance encounter led to a Wheel of Fortune contestant getting on the show. In a recent interview, Dan King shared how being at the airport led him to winning $60,648.
Dan King, from Alton, Illinois, played against Armen Babasoloukian, from Pasadena, California, and Brittney Crayton, from New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 8. He has been a registered nurse for 10 years and spent the past five years working towards building a hot chicken restaurant.
King won $20,648 during the game, as well as a trip to Montreal, Canada. When he got to the Bonus Round, he solved the “What Are You Doing?” puzzle, which was “Fixing My Hair,” for $40,000.
Speaking with The Telegraph after his win, King told the publication that he sped through the audition rounds thanks to a meetup with a former contestant. A group of people gathered at Alton Sports Tap on January 8 to watch King’s game.
There, King told the publication, “I was at the right place at the right time.” Contestants have to go through an extensive interview process after applying online. He, however, got to “fast pass” that process.
During a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, with his girlfriend, Whitney Young, they met a man at an airport with a Wheel of Fortune shirt on. The shirt had his face all over it. King learned that the man had been a previous contestant.
The man used a Wheel of Fortune “submission ticket” that is given to winners, which allowed him to recommend King as a contestant on the game show. That ticket led to an email from Sony, which then led to an interview.
“This is a one-time thing,” King told The Telegraph. His background in business, as well as his eccentric personality, pushed him through to the next round, and he eventually got on the game show.
“If you know Danny, and you know his charisma and who he is, you know that he is fit for TV,” King’s longtime friend, Kyle Lankford, told The Telegraph.
Young also shared that she didn’t care if he won any money; she just “wanted the moment for him.” “He’s had a really hard couple of years, so for him to have a legitimate win like this — he just deserved this,” she said.
His mom, Jane, told the publication that they have always watched Wheel as a family, so she was really proud of him.
As for what he is going to do with the payout? That answer came easily to him. King said he would put it towards his daughter’s education fund “so she can be on a good path.”
“It was an overall truly awesome experience. The show was amazing, and the support here tonight was even more amazing,” King ended.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
Spin That Wheel
Get absolutely everything about Wheel of Fortune in your inbox!
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services