‘Wheel of Fortune’ player's awkward dance after $69K win turns into an adorable moment with Ryan Seacrest
‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant Jay Tope got host Ryan Seacrest grooving, and multi-platinum artist Jason Derulo was the witness! The beloved game show wrapped up its iHeartRadio week on Friday, April 11, on a grand note. For the special episode, three singers got a shot at the competition to try and win money. Tope and Derulo were partners on the round, and thanks to the former, the duo crushed the game. They competed against singer Jojo, who was paired with Mekdes Getahun and Andy Grammer, who got Andrew Goodman as a partner. During the introductory round, Derulo spoke about his latest single.
The topic prompted Seacrest to quip about Tope’s dancing skills. The contestant didn’t hesitate before busting some moves, much to the viewers’ delight. When the game kicked off, Tope and Derulo had a tumultuous start as their competitors earned $2,000, but they made up for it in the next round. The duo solved the puzzle “All You Can Eat Sushi” and collected $4,000. They went ahead to solve two of the Triple Toss-Ups, and after their final puzzle, “Performing a Duet,” they emerged as winners of the night. Their fellow competitors weren’t far behind!
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In the end, all three singers donated $10,000 to the charity of their choice. Tope and Derulo then moved to the Bonus Round with a total of $29,350 in Tope’s pocket from both his games. They first got the guess letters and filled in most of the blanks. For the final answer, they unanimously shouted “moving forward,” and the puzzle was accurate. Tope added $40,000 to his winnings, giving him a grand total of $69,350. Before the round began, Seacrest discussed Tope’s dancing skills with his wife. “You told me about his dancing, and you were right,” the host said. After winning a massive amount, the latter couldn’t end the show without busting some moves.
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They celebrated the win with an awkward dance move that Seacrest initiated. He and Tope moved their arms in sync in a circular motion. When Derulo joined them, the host paused to announce that the ‘Swalla’ hitmaker makes it “look much better.” The ‘American Idol’ host joined ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in September last year after long-time host Pat Sajak’s exit. Although Seacrest’s credibility is impressive, filling in the shoes of the veteran host was a challenge. A few months back, Ok Magazine reported bold claims made by an insider source. According to the source, the show’s executives are allegedly concerned about Sajak’s replacement.
The source claimed that although Seacrest has a knack for hosting, he lacks the humor that Sajak had. “You’re starting to see what a secret weapon Pat Sajak’s understated humor was for that show,” the insider claimed. “Ryan is fast on his feet, but not necessarily when it comes to jokes.” As per the insider, the quips came naturally to Sajak and eventually became a part of the show’s DNA. The insider even suggested that Seacrest should hire writers for jokes to “calibrate his on-screen persona” and make it a bit closer to Sajak.