Current:Home > MyWheel of Fortune Contestants' Bad Luck "Curse" Shocked Even Ryan Seacrest -AssetPath
Wheel of Fortune Contestants' Bad Luck "Curse" Shocked Even Ryan Seacrest
View
Date:2025-04-23 10:44:51
Time to officially rename it the Wheel of Misfortune.
That's what three contestants learned the hard way on the Sept. 18 episode of Wheel of Fortune. The trio of Melissa Brickey, Brent Lau and Tanijah Johnson experienced such a string of bad luck that even new host Ryan Seacrest and the show's longtime star Vanna White were astonished.
On the episode, the three contestants were spinning during the Crossword Round, when each of them landed on "bankrupt" in three consecutive spins.
"Should we have a conversation with this wheel?" Ryan joked, before asking the wheel, "What are you doing to us?"
And it only got worse when Brent's next spin landed on "lose a turn," prompting Ryan to ask the group, "Who did something bad before they got here?"
Tanijah's next spin did allow her to guess a letter, but she was immediately hit with another "bankrupt," as was Melissa.
All of which prompted Ryan—who recently took over for former host Pat Sajak—to quip, "So, I'm new here. I've never seen anything like this before."
The 49-year-old then urged Brent to spin again and "break this curse," however Brent landed on "lose a turn" yet again.
The American Idol host couldn't hold back how stunned he was, turning his cohost and pleading, "Vanna? What is going on?"
The group then landed on "bankrupt" once again, prompting both Ryan and Tanijah to rest their heads on the wheel in exasperation.
Luckily, things finally turned around for the three with Melissa's next spin, which landed on $600 and eventually enabled them to solve the "Facial Features" puzzle: Eyelashes, pupils, cheeks, lips. Melissa ultimately went on to win the episode, taking a grand total of $60,050.
And despite having just started his Wheel of Fortune run, this is not the first time Ryan has found himself in uncharted Wheel territory.
During the Sept. 16 episode, contestant Vivian Tran landed on the "one million" wheel wedge and successfully landed on the million-dollar envelope during the bonus round.
"My heart is racing," Ryan said. "This is a first for me. You're playing for $1 million."
Unfortunately, Vivian was unable to solve the puzzle and missed out on the million—but still went home with $27,300 and a trip to Europe.
Although Ryan is still new at hosting the iconic game show, he's already left quite an impression on Vanna.
"He's doing an incredible job," she recently told E! News. "It's not easy. He makes it look easy."
She knew he would be fantastic from the get-go, adding, "He's so talented, he's so professional, he's so good at what he does. I'm so thankful."
As Ryan joked to E!, "If Wheel of Fortune is offered to you, you just don't say no. You'll have bad karma for the rest of your TV life."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (695)
Related
- Trump's 'stop
- The casting director for 'Elf' would pick this other 'SNL' alum to star in a remake
- Sister Wives’ Christine and Janelle Brown Share Their Hopes for a Relationship With Kody and Robyn
- Internet casinos thrive in 6 states. So why hasn’t it caught on more widely in the US?
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Tiffany Haddish arrested on suspicion of DUI in Beverly Hills after Thanksgiving show
- Ringo Starr takes fans on a colorful tour of his past in book ‘Beats & Threads’
- Kentucky train derailment causes chemical spill, forces evacuations
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Why 'Monarch' Godzilla show was a 'strange new experience' for Kurt and Wyatt Russell
Ranking
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- The debate over Ukraine aid was already complicated. Then it became tangled up in US border security
- 6-year-old Mississippi girl honored for rescue efforts after her mother had a stroke while driving
- The 39 Best Black Friday Deals on Celebrity Brands: SKIMS, Good American, Jordan, Fenty Beauty, and More
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- UN chief gives interview from melting Antarctica on eve of global climate summit
- Commuter train strikes and kills man near a Connecticut rail crossing
- You’ll Be Soaring After Watching This Adorable Video of Zac Efron and His Siblings
Recommendation
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
The Netherlands’ longtime ruling party says it won’t join a new government following far-right’s win
Ex-officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd’s killing, stabbed in prison, AP source says
Best ways to shop on Black Friday? Experts break down credit, cash and 'pay later' methods
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
Appeals court says Georgia may elect utility panel statewide, rejecting a ruling for district voting
Gaza cease-fire enters second day with more hostages to be exchanged and critical supplies delivered
Argentina’s labor leaders warn of resistance to President-elect Milei’s radical reforms