‘Wheel of Fortune’ player solves Bonus Round before timer even starts — fans call him ‘an absolute beast’
Even after four decades of being on TV, 'Wheel of Fortune' continues to entertain viewers with jaw-dropping moments. One such moment came during a December 2024 episode, when Thomas Russo competed against Brenda Sweetser and Cobina Gibson. In a game where every second counts, contestants often struggle to solve puzzles, but Russo pulled off a feat no one saw coming.
Though Russo had a rough start in the $1,000 Toss-Up round, with Sweetser leading at $4,000, he made an epic comeback in the Express Round. By solving the puzzle SEASHELL NECKLACE, he earned $2,000 and a trip to the Divi Flamingo in Bonaire worth $8,500, as reported by Andy Nguyen's WOF blog. He also solved the Crossword Puzzle and won an additional $3,400. By the end of the preliminary rounds, he had secured a total cash prize of $17,100 and a trip.
Things took an interesting turn when Russo entered the Bonus Round and chose the dreaded category “What are you doing?” He then accompanied host Ryan Seacrest at the wheel and gave it a big spin. Looking at the speed of the wheel that kept spinning for quite some time, Seacrest said, "A very good spin." The wheel stopped on “I.” After picking the envelope, Seacrest and Russo walked toward the puzzle with the standard R, S, T, L, N, and E and read, "_ _ _ _ N_ T_ _ N_S _ _ _ _EN." Russo chose three consonants, "H, G, and a C," and for a vowel, he chose "I."
As Vanna White filled in the letters, Russo smiled, apparently having already solved the puzzle in his mind. And as soon as Seacrest gave the familiar cue, "You've got 10 seconds, Thomas. Good luck." Russo didn't even wait for the clock to start ticking and blurted out the correct answer, "MAKING THINGS HAPPEN." Impressed with the player, Seacrest replied back, "You certainly are." Overjoyed with excitement, Russo flung both his arms in the air and yelled a celebratory "Woohooo." To top off the celebration, Seacrest opened the golden envelope and further revealed that the player had won an additional $40,000, making a grand total of $57,100.
Fans flooded the YouTube comment section praising Russo's performance. A viewer of the show gushed, "Thomas was an absolute beast tonight. Didn't have to think too hard about his letter choices or the puzzle. He had it nailed down right from the start. Congratulations, Thomas! Enjoy the extra cash!" Praising the player's judgment, a viewer confessed, "I personally thought Thomas made a huge mistake picking WHAT ARE YOU DOING over EVENT and THING. ... I was wrong tonight. It was actually a moderate puzzle, believe it or not." With a sigh of relief, a YouTube user said, "You made a Bonus Round win happen. That was easy." While many other viewers offered him their "Congratulations."