Ryan Seacrest Reveals If He Had First Day Jitters on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ (Exclusive)
A Wheel of Fortune contestant was letters away from earning $1 million.
Vivian Tran, who competed on the game show’s Sept. 16 episode, lost the grand prize when she couldn’t complete the first word in a three-word puzzle during the bonus round.
“My heart is racing,” Ryan Seacrest—who took over as host following Pat Sajak’s retirement—said during the round. “This is a first for me. You’re playing for $1 million.”
When Vivian made her way to the bonus round after landing on the “One Million” wedge during the final round, the $100,000 prize was replaced with $1 million. To win the prize, she had to land on the million-dollar envelope, which she did, and solve the puzzle correctly.
As for what the puzzle was? The phrase “Offering Some Help.”
Unfortunately, she was missing four letters in the first word and ultimately lost the money.
Ryan pulled open the envelope to show she landed on the correct envelope as she folded over in disbelief. Although it was a disappointment, Vivian left with a $27,300 cash prize, a trip to Europe and high spirits.