HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Email marketer wins whopping $74K on ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ squeezes Ryan Seacrest — then drops a wild secret

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant squeezes host Ryan Seacrest after his amazing Bonus Round win!

Ryan Seacrest didn’t mind getting squished by this 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant! Charles Tapacio, an email marketer from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, aced the game and reached the Bonus Round. This round is a make-or-break moment; players can win big or walk away with nothing. The Illinois native guessed correctly, earning an additional $40,000. This brought his total winnings to a whopping $74,000. This victory led the host to ask him to “squeeze me,” and the contestant obliged by hugging him not once but twice. The contestant was noticeably bigger in build than the host.

When he hugged Seacrest after solving the puzzle, the host was slightly knocked off balance. When they hugged again after the prize reveal, Seacrest made a joke of it. “You can squeeze me,” he told Tapacio while hugging, and the latter did exactly that. Tapacio also revealed a surprising secret that made him even cooler in the viewers' eyes. If you think he’s an ordinary office-goer, then you’d be mistaken! Besides working as an email marketer, he works as a DJ on weekends. “During the week, I’m in email marketing as Charles; on the weekend, I’m DJ Wildcat… Wiki Wiki Wildcat,” he revealed.

“I DJ at weddings, birthday parties, gyms… Wheel of Fortune afterparties,” he added. Given Tapacio’s experience in spinning decks, it’s not surprising that he aced the game show. Earlier, he competed against Daneka Howard of Dallas and Jeremy Foreshew of Los Angeles. The part-time DJ was on fire from the get-go, winning both the Round 1 and Mystery Round puzzles. Back-to-back wins took his total to $11,200. He kept his streak alive in the Express Round, earning $25,650 and a ski trip to Vermont’s Green Mountains.

His lucky streak ended in the Triple Toss-Up, where his competitors solved all three puzzles. Tapacio and Foreshew reached the final Speed Up puzzle. Spotting a pair of Fs, Tapacio raised his total to $34,650. He emerged as the reigning champion, securing a chance to win even more. He selected the What Are You Doing? Category for his Bonus Round and chose “C, P, M, and A” as additional letters. He was presented with a puzzle that read: “_ R _ T _ N _ / A / M E M _.”

As soon as Seacrest started the 10-second timer, Tapacio correctly guessed the answer: Writing a Memo. “Congratulations, you got it!” the host announced. Fans commented under the official ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Instagram reel that captured Tapacio’s journey on the show. “He was awesome!! Good player,” one internet user commented. “I can't believe how great of a contestant he was!! He played incredibly well,” another fan wrote. Some fans also reacted to his amazing alter ego. “He’s the son of my parents’ wedding DJ!” one Instagram user commented. “Love this! We all need a weekend alter ego like Charles!” another fan quipped.