‘Wheel of Fortune’: Florida Mom Gets Hug From Ryan Seacrest After $63,000 Loss
A Wheel of Fortune contestant was lucky enough to win a trip during her time on the game show, but the Florida mom lost out on taking home $63,000. Here’s how it all played out.
Doniece Talley, from Gainesville, Florida, played against Rachel Ring, from Oceanside, New York, and Robert Ford, from Clive, Iowa, on October 1. Ring, a fashionista who follows the show for Vanna White‘s outfits, solved two Fortune Frenzies, while Talley, who travels every year with her husband for their anniversary without the kids who stay with their grandparents, and Ford, a playwright, composer, and theater producer, both solved one. Ford almost solved two but got the first word wrong on the last one, and didn’t solve it before the time ran out.
Talley, who has a son, Amir, who calls WOF “The Letter Show,” solved the “Same Letter” puzzle — “Tents, Trailers, Trails, & Trees” — for $10,250. With only three letters left in the next puzzle, she solved “Arizona Diamondbacks.” This gave her $12,300.
Talley put even more money in her back when she solved the Prize Puzzle — “What Time is the Meeting?” She won a trip to Montenegro, giving her $23,179.
Ring solved two of the three Triple Toss-ups while Ford solved one. Ford solved the final puzzle — “We Can Be Heroes.” This gave him $6,300. Ring ended with $6,000. Talley won the game with $23,179, advancing her to the Bonus Round.
She chose “What Are You Doing?” for the category. Talley brought her mom, Odessa, with her to cheer her on.
Wheel of Fortune gave Talley “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” The game show contestant chose “D,C,W, and O” to round out the letters.
The puzzle then looked like “_ _ _RO_ _N_ O_R C_ _NCES.” As the clock counted down, Talley guessed “Something Our Chances,” “Working Our Chances,” but couldn’t figure out the first word. “Improving Our Chances” was the puzzle.
“You were so close,” host Ryan Seacrest said as he gave her a hug. There was $40,000 in the envelope, which would have given her $63,179. “Not bad for a 30-minute show. Enjoy your trips.”
Could you solve the final puzzle? Let us know in the comments.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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