Alfredo O.

Being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune was a dream come true. (Quite literally - I found a journal entry from about ten years ago where I shared that I wanted to someday play Wheel!) I was so excited to get the email that I was selected to be a contestant. 🤩 I practiced prior to going to the studios by playing the Wheel of Fortune app and doing crosswords puzzles. 🧩 🤓

Taping day was great. I got to meet the other contestants from all over the country, spin the wheel, and I was treated like a star! ✨ Once I got to play the game, it was the fastest and the most fun 30 minutes of my life, thus far. I had a time where three main things happened back to back (you will need to watch it) and it was so cool. One thing about Wheel is that we are not playing against each other... We are playing with other amazing humans and we all want to beat the wheel by avoiding bankrupts or lose a turn. Plus, Vanna is so friendly to the contestants and Pat helped all of us to feel at home!

When my episode airs, I will be inviting friends and family over to my place for a Wheel of Fortune viewing party. I also work at the University of Maryland, and we are planning to share with the university community when I am able to, so they can also experience a great episode. Wheel is my nightly joy activity where my family and I try to solve the puzzles, cheer for the contestants, and feel their pain when they hit a bankrupt.

I have to say... being on Wheel also meant representation and visibility for my communities. As a gay Latino man, first generation immigrant, naturalized U.S. citizen, whose English is my second language, it meant achieving one of my many dreams. Maybe, one day, you will see me hosting the show. 😉 If you are thinking about it, you should apply! You won't regret it and you will be a part of America's Game. Good luck to anyone who will be a contestant. You will have a blast and I will be screaming BIG MONEY! 🤑🤑🤑