Debra M.

OMG! I found out I made the show via email about four months after submitting my video, and three months after my Zoom interview and puzzle-solving audition. I totally thought I bombed the Zoom interview, so when eight weeks went by, I started to chalk it up as an honor, and a great experience, to have even gotten that far. But when I got the email about my contestant selection, I jumped out of my chair and ran to tell my husband and son — and none of us could believe this was all becoming a reality.

Wheel of Fortune is a staple in our home. Every night at 6:30 p.m., you can bet the three of us are yelling at the TV and solving puzzles from our recliners. My husband Mark and I have been watching for 15 years, and our son Jacoby (JJ) for 12 years, and prior to [starting a family], I’d been watching Wheel since Chuck [Woolery] was the host. I even learned how to budget from Wheel, because back then the show had a shopping format. My mom used to laugh when I would pretend I was buying the dining room hutch for $400, but only had $250 in my WOF bank. My mom, dad and brother have all passed on, but I know they’d be cheering me on from above because this would have been massive family news — and a bucket list item for any of them, for sure, but one that only I was fortunate enough to live out.

I treated the flight coming to LA for the taping like a very serious business trip. I crammed. I studied. I downloaded every Wheel game I could find. I watched reruns of the show, and solved along, and I bought a crossword puzzle book to keep my brain in solving mode. The night before taping I couldn't sleep, so I crammed some more. 

Being on set was like a dream — it’s still so surreal. The biggest surprise was everything happening behind the scenes, and seeing how small the wheel is in person. During my episode, I remember knowing the [prize] puzzle, but I landed on Bankrupt, and still yelled out a letter. I didn't look down at the wheel wedges or money once during my show; my focus was always on the letter board and the puzzle. One of my favorite moments was flipping over the mystery wedge that I landed on and seeing the $10,000 — that was crazy. I am so glad I made the choice to go for it! Life is all about making a decision, and everything in your life starts with a decision you’ve made. I decided to finally send in a video to apply for the show. The rest is history and forever a unique part of my life now. I am wheely, wheely happy that I not only had an experience of a lifetime, but that I did my family, my friends, my co-workers and my community proud — and won! This is a story I will be telling my future grandkids someday. 🤗🤑🤪🙇‍♀️