Jaison T.

First and foremost, I have never won anything in my life! When I say anything, I mean it 😩; not even a McDonald's Monopoly small fry, never won a raffle, even if it's free...chances are I still wouldn't be lucky enough to get it! So never in a million years did I ever think I would have the chance to get on a game show, and let alone, win! So, in my head, I would always think there's no point in applying buttttttt this is where my wife comes in! Usually after a long day's work, when I just like to relax, I turn on the tv and watch Wheel of Fortune. Not going to lie, when I watch and play from my couch, I feel like I'm a pretty good player, especially when I yell out the puzzle answers at my TV 😅. So naturally, my wife kept on insisting that I apply because I was pretty good, but like I mentioned, I would always think "there's no way, I have no chance.” 

Little did I know however, was that one night my wife secretly recorded me playing the game, answering puzzles, and getting way too excited, and submitted the recording and my application on my behalf! 😂. After she submitted the application, she nonchalantly told me that she submitted the application, ha-ha! Honestly, I laughed and didn't think twice about it. However, to my shock and surprise, I get an email a few months later! Ultimately after auditioning and interviewing, I was shocked when I found out that I made the show! The whole day that my wife and I found out, we couldn't stop laughing and asking ourselves, "Is this really going to happen?!" Soo, after being invited to get on the show, I immediately downloaded the Wheel of Fortune game app and spent many of my free time playing the game! It helped me practice because I got familiar with the categories and so that made me feel more confident going into my show! However, playing from my couch and off an app is way easier than doing it in person 😬! So, if I learned one thing from the whole experience, it's to have grace towards the contestants you watch on the show because it's a whole lot easier to play from your couch than it is when you're on stage! 

One of the biggest surprises is that the Wheel is actually kind of heavy! I really wanted to let her rip, but I was honestly scared to throw out my back and somehow end up having to disqualify myself from the show, ha-ha! Thankfully none of the above happened, and I can say that spinning the Wheel is now a core memory! One of the best parts about being on the show, besides playing it of course, is the joy that even just appearing, brings to family and friends! When my wife and I told each set of parents, they laughed just as much as we did and were in shock! No one could believe that I was going to be on National TV playing a gameshow! 

When the show airs, my wife and I plan on having a watch party with my family, as my nieces and nephews are dying to find out how I did! I have kept everyone in suspense and their reactions are going to be the highlight of my year. Next, I plan on having my best friends over because they have no clue that I went on the show! I purposely didn’t tell them because we plan on turning the show on and then I'm just going to super casually say, "Hey, that guy looks familiar!" Knowing my friends, their facial reactions are going to be epic when they realize it's me on WOF 😂! My wife plans to get all the reactions from the watch parties, and then some of the day of recordings that we did leading up to me heading to the show, and turn it into a TikTok or Instagram Reel! Hopefully it goes viral! 😂🙏🏽. 

Maybe this inspires the next doubter like me to apply and just see what happens because you never know! The whole Wheel of Fortune experience is a lifelong memory that I am so excited to share with everyone I know. Growing up, my parents who immigrated from India in the late 1980s, got me hooked on the show! I remember them watching the show in the living room after a long day’s work and honestly, I feel like it helped them fine tune their English, ha-ha! As the years went on, my family and I would watch together every chance we got! It's so surreal to me knowing that I made it on the show that my family and I grew up watching. Wheel of Fortune was the only game show growing up that I actually enjoyed and that I was good at 😝, so it's crazy to me how this came back full circle! 

I am extremely grateful and blessed to have had such a unique life experience that I can tell my future children about! And most importantly, I am so glad my biggest supporter, my wife, was able to enjoy the experience with me! I wouldn't have gotten to do this without her stealthy operation! So I guess I should share some of my winnings with her and get her that fancy purse she's been wanting, huh? 😜😂. I can't wait to share this experience with all my friends and family! Spinning the Wheel is a core memory, bucket list achievement, and the coolest thing I have ever done, and I will forever cherish this experience!