Spenser H.

I’m still not convinced that being on Wheel for Home for the Holidays Week was a real thing that happened. Game shows have always been a major part of my life, and being a contestant on Wheel was something that people obviously did, but isn’t something I ever thought I’d get to experience. 

When I was going through the audition process, producers asked me to pick a family member as a teammate and there was zero hesitation on my end to pick my cousin, Kaylen. We laughed about our audition together for weeks after, so when we got the email from Wheel that we had been selected I called Kaylen and she didn’t believe me that we’d been picked. In our heads, there was NO WAY this was going to happen to us, but sure enough, the dream was going to come true!  My prep for the show was basically watching the WOF channel on Pluto TV every night before the trip. Kaylen and I watched some episodes together and played the Wheel video game to practice calling letters out loud and working under a timer. We had this grandiose plan for studying and practicing for the show, but as usual with most of our plans, we got much less accomplished than we wanted because most of our time was taken up laughing hysterically with each other, which really was our experience the entire trip as well. 

We learned so much on our tape day, and time absolutely flies by. The production team wants more than anything for the contestants to be successful. Their attitude really helped keep us psyched up and feeling like we were fully prepped and ready to go come showtime. No matter how many times you’ve seen the show, nothing will prepare you for the first time you step on the WoF stage. ItTook my breath away, and Kaylen and I were just in awe of it the entire time. 

When it comes to the game itself, it is SO easy to get lost in the moment! When we picked up the Million Dollar wedge, our entire strategy went out the window. We were so focused on protecting the Wedge that we didn’t spin the wheel unless we had to and that prevented us from racking up our score. It’s just not something we had planned for at all! Ultimately, what surprised us most during our game was that Wheel is just that, a game. Yes, it’s high stakes, and you’re playing for incredible life-changing money, but you’re really just playing a game with some new friends you’ve made, because everyone is rooting each other on. You spend the day with your fellow contestants from all over the country, and you all share the passion for the game and excitement just to be there. Simply put, it’s as positive an experience as you can imagine. Pat & Vanna want you to succeed. They are just as wonderful in person as you think they’d be. When we think about the fact that we got to experience this with one of our favorite family members by our side and with my Mom and best friend in the audience, I couldn’t dream up a better scenario. 

We are going to host a viewing party at a restaurant in Baton Rouge the night the show airs! We are going to have a big group of family and friends there that have been so wonderful showing their support of both Kaylen and myself. I imagine that maybe that night it will all start to feel real. 

Wheel of Fortune was the first game show I ever watched and it legitimately changed the course of my life because it helped me realize who I really am and what drives me. I wouldn’t own my business without it. And now, it’s forever going to be one of my favorite memories made with some of my favorite people. Thanks for everything, Wheel!