A Wheel of Fortune contestant had the prospect to etch his identify within the historical past books on Friday (Might 9) by turning into solely the fifth (and first man) to win $1 million on the long-running sport present.
The contestant in query was Andrew Leachko, a Cleveland Cavaliers fan and American historical past buff from Cleveland, Ohio. He confronted off in opposition to Natalya Batenman, a stay-at-home mother from Cypress, Texas, and Audrey Cheatham, a former officer turned highschool instructor from Farmer Metropolis, Illinois.
Leachko received off to a blended begin, fixing the $2K Tossup puzzle however then touchdown on a bankrupt wedge in Spherical 1. Nonetheless, his luck modified within the AARP Thriller Spherical, the place he landed on the Million Greenback wedge. This abruptly put an immense quantity of strain on Leachko for the rest of the sport.
For these unfamiliar, if a contestant lands on the Million Greenback wedge, they have to remedy that spherical’s puzzle with out touchdown on a bankrupt. In the event that they win the sport with out hitting a bankrupt, then the $100,000 envelope on the Bonus Wheel is changed by a $1 million envelope.
Leachko nailed the puzzle and continued his success within the Categorical Spherical, giving him a complete of $22,228 money, plus a prepare journey by the Canadian Rockies. He performed it cool within the Triple Tossup, answering simply one of many puzzles earlier than ending robust by fixing the ultimate Velocity-Up puzzle for an episode-winning whole of $30,228 money.
This meant the Ohio native entered the Bonus Spherical with the million-dollar envelope in play. All he needed to do was remedy the ultimate puzzle underneath the “Occasion” class, and he may probably stroll away as the enduring sport present’s fifth million-dollar winner.
Leachko chosen the extra letters “C, M, D, and A,” giving him a three-word puzzle that learn, “_ _ R / _ E A R L _ / _ A S _.”
He shortly discovered the primary two phrases as “Our Yearly,” however he struggled to work out the ultimate phrase. He guessed “Quick, Previous, and Case” earlier than the ten-second timer ran out, and Vanna White revealed the right reply as “Our Yearly Bash.”
Host Ryan Seacrest then opened the prize envelope to disclose the second of reality. Had Leachko misplaced out on $1 million? Fortunately not, because it turned out, he’d picked the $40,000 (simply as soon as house subsequent to the million). Nonetheless an enormous chunk of cash to overlook out on, however not as devastating as shedding $1 million.
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Solely 4 gamers have received $1 million on Wheel through the years, together with Michelle Loewenstein in 2008, Autumn Erhard in 2013, Sarah Manchester in 2014, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart on Movie star Wheel of Fortune in 2021.
Followers took to social media to react to Leachko’s loss, with one YouTube commenter writing, “OMG!!! Andrew nearly land on the 1 million {dollars} envelope on Wheel Of Fortune!!! Now that’s one other 1 million greenback heartbreaker.”
“Gained’t lie, since he didn’t get the puzzle, I’m joyful he didn’t land on the million greenback card,” mentioned one other.
“One house away from what would have been a million-dollar heartbreaker,” one other added.
“Wow that was shut!” one commenter wrote.
One other added, “Darn it I believed he grew to become the primary man to win $1,000,000 on Wheel of Fortune.”
“This puzzle was of reasonable problem imagine it or not. Too unhealthy the final phrase did in Andrew,” mentioned one fan.
“We’ll get our fourth million greenback winner this 12 months. I do know it,” wrote one other.
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