This ‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant lost a car and almost kicked Ryan Seacrest in the face — seriously
Ever since its launch in 1975, NBC's 'Wheel of Fortune' has offered contestants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change their lives by winning big. However, there have been instances where participants lost in dramatic fashion. In one such instance, a contestant's winning streak ended when he failed to guess a vowel, costing him a brand-new car. To make matters worse, the whole incident unfolded when the contestant nearly kicked host Ryan Seacrest in the face
On the Tuesday, April 29 episode of 'Wheel of Fortune,' Demitri Vyzis from Kirkland, Washington, competed against Carol Miranda and Casey Anderson. Vyzis quickly got off to a strong start, guessing the first two toss-ups and earning $2,000. He then showed host Seacrest a dance move and nearly kicked him in the face, per TV Insider. Seacrest joked in response, saying, "You have a long leg, Demitri."
Despite solving most of the first puzzle, Vyzis landed on Bankrupt. His opponents, Miranda and Anderson, also landed on Bankrupt during their turns. Eventually, Vyzis got another shot and solved the puzzle: ‘One of these days I’m going to get organized,’ bringing his total winnings to $10,500. Miranda, although faced with tough luck, spun Bankrupt again in the 'Mystery Round.' However, when her turn came back, she managed to solve two letters and landed on the $10,000 Mystery Wedge, keeping her close to Vyzis in the race.
Anderson finally scored by solving the prize puzzle, 'Chugging Right Along,' winning a trip to the Canadian Rockies and bringing her total to $9,599. "It's really anyone’s game tonight," said host Seacrest. Each contestant then solved a Triple Toss-Up puzzle, earning $2,000 apiece. The competition came down to the final puzzle in the 'Song Lyrics' category. After all three guessed incorrect letters initially, Vyzis eventually solved it with 'How You Like Me Now?' a 2009 song by The Heavy.
Vyzis ended the main game with a total of $14,100, narrowly beating Miranda, who had $12,000, and Anderson, who took home $11,599. Advancing to the 'Bonus' Round, Vyzis selected the 'Phrase' category and was joined on stage by his wife, Nicole, for support. After receiving the standard letters 'R, S, T, L, N, and E,' he added 'W, D, C, and O.' This left him with the puzzle, '_ W _ S _ _ _ _ E D.' As the clock ticked, Vyzis guessed, 'I was boiled.' I was… let's see here,' but couldn’t complete the puzzle in time. The correct phrase was 'I was amazed,' said the host. Seacrest then revealed that the missed prize was a Lincoln. Though he lost out on the car, Vyzis still walked away with $14,000.
In another instance, Seacrest was knocked out when an excited contestant leapt towards him. The funny incident unfolded when Daniel Thomas, from San Marcos, California, triumphed with $71,950 in winnings. He also secured a luxury trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights, valued at over $11,000. Competing against Amaryllis and Dina, he led with $31,950 heading into the 'Bonus' Round, where he correctly solved the puzzle in the 'Living Things' category just in time by guessing 'Guppies,' which netted Thomas an additional $40,000, as per The US Sun.
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Overcome with joy, Thomas jumped up and down, then leapt toward Seacrest in celebration, accidentally knocking the host flat on his back. As Seacrest's legs flailed in the air, Thomas quickly helped him up and asked, "Are you okay?" Seacrest laughed and reassured him, saying, "I'm fine, no, you're good. I'm okay," before proudly flashing the bonus prize card that read $40,000.