Current:Home > MyBenjamin Ashford|Wheel of Fortune Contestants' Bad Luck "Curse" Shocked Even Ryan Seacrest -Elevate Capital Network
Benjamin Ashford|Wheel of Fortune Contestants' Bad Luck "Curse" Shocked Even Ryan Seacrest
FinLogic FinLogic Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 02:34:50
Time to officially rename it the Wheel of Misfortune.
That's what three contestants learned the hard way on Benjamin Ashfordthe 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! (433)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Maui Electric responds to lawsuit, claims power lines were de-energized
- Man Taken at Birth Reunites With Mom After 42 Years Apart
- Bowl projections: Georgia, Michigan, Alabama, Clemson start in College Football Playoff
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Chicago TV news crew robbed at gunpoint while reporting on a string of robberies
- Maui Electric responds to lawsuit, claims power lines were de-energized
- She paid her husband's hospital bill. A year after his death, they wanted more money.
- Bet365 ordered to refund $519K to customers who it paid less than they were entitled on sports bets
- Ex-49ers QB Trey Lance says being traded to Cowboys put 'a big smile on my face'
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Kirkus Prize names Jesmyn Ward, Héctor Tobar among finalists for top literary award
- National Cinema Day collects $34 million at box office, 8.5 million moviegoers attend
- Michael Oher Subpoenas Tuohys' Agents and The Blind Side Filmmakers in Legal Case
- Your Wedding Guests Will Thank You if You Get Married at These All-Inclusive Resorts
- Hurricane Idalia livestreams: Watch webcams stationed along Florida coast as storm nears
- Much of Florida's Gulf Coast is under an evacuation order – and a king tide could make flooding worse
- Meg Ryan Returns to Rom-Coms After 14 Years: Watch the First Look at What Happens Later
Recommendation
Clay Aiken's son Parker, 15, makes his TV debut, looks like his father's twin
Wildfire in Tiger Island Louisiana burns on after leveling 30,000 acres of land
NASA exploring whether supersonic passenger jet could cross Atlantic in 1.5 hours
'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Former death row inmate pleads guilty to murder and is sentenced to 46 1/2 years in prison
'I find it wrong': Cosmetics brand ends Alice Cooper collection after he called trans people a 'fad'
After Tesla relaxes monitoring of drivers using its Autopilot technology, US regulators seek answers