‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Reacts Sweetly After Contestant Loses Out on $73,000

A contestant didn’t let losing out on a total prize of $73,000 ruin his experience on Wheel of Fortune.

The show celebrated Night 1 of “Wheel Loves L.A. Week” on Monday, November 3. “Beyond the glitz and the glamour, the palm trees and the traffic, L.A. at its heart is a big city of small neighborhoods, with a vibrant culture all its own,” Vanna White said at the top of the episode. Ryan Seacrest added, “We love it here, and we want to share a little bit of that love with you tonight.”

Shawn Broderick from Bellevue, Washington, solved the First Toss-Up puzzle, after which Seacrest asked the contestant about his love of sports. “I’m a huge fan of the world champion Seattle Seahawks,” Broderick exclaimed, noting that he saw the team win at the 2026 Super Bowl earlier this year. “I was at the game. I’m not married. I don’t have kids. It was the best day of my life, other than being here with you, of course,” he quipped.

When asked by Seacrest what his favorite part of Wheel of Fortune is, Broderick said, “No disrespect. I’m incredibly excited to meet you, but it’s gotta be Vanna. I’m nervous to even say hello, but Vanna, you are the best.” Seacrest took the comment in stride, joking that every contestant says White is their favorite part of the show.

Broderick competed against William Olivier from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Charlotte Bergmann from Austin, Texas, the latter of whom won the Second Toss-Up puzzle. By the end of the first round, Broderick was in last place with $1,000.

Things turned around for Broderick during the Mystery Round, which he ended with $4,950 and a Wild Card. He later won a trip to Vietnam worth $7,200 during the Prize Puzzle Round.

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“Well, you said you were single. Gotta find somebody for that great trip, right?” Seacrest jokingly asked, to which Broderick replied, “Anybody, please apply.”

All three contestants solved a puzzle during the Triple Toss-Up Round. Still, the competition couldn’t beat Broderick after he solved the final puzzle of the night, increasing his total winnings to $23,650.

Before the Bonus Round, Seacrest gave a special shout-out to Broderick’s parents, Mike and Kim, who flew in to L.A. from South Dakota. “[They] said that you have been practicing, and it’s been paying off tonight in a big way. Well done,” he told the contestant.

Broderick selected “Phrase” as his Bonus Round category but ultimately couldn’t solve the puzzle, whose answer was “Above the Fray.”

“That’s alright. We had a great day,” Broderick said after the loss, walking away with $23,650 in total winnings. Seacrest agreed, stating, “We had a great night.”

Seacrest congratulated Broderick on his performance by pulling him in for a sweet hug. “Nice to meet you, pal. Nice to meet your folks, as well,” he said at the end of the episode.

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