Retired English teacher fights back tears after solving tough ‘Wheel of Fortune’ puzzle and winning big
A 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant got overwhelmed with emotions after cracking a difficult puzzle on the fan-favorite game show. During an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune,' which was released in September 2024, a contestant named Amy Nardin broke down in tears after winning big in the Bonus Round. Nardin, a retired English literature teacher from Valrico, Florida, kicked off the game with a bang and impressed everyone with her incredible puzzle-solving skills. Later on, Nardin became very emotional after solving her Bonus Round puzzle, and at that point, the game show host, Ryan Seacrest, handed her a handkerchief to wipe off her tears of joy.
Nardin had a great start, but soon after, she landed on the Bankrupt Wedge and lost all of her winnings. Despite that, Nardin made an impressive comeback and nailed the puzzles to grab the top spot on the leaderboard. With every correct answer, Nardin's excitement grew, and she eventually had tears rolling down her face. Then, Seacrest played the role of a perfect gentleman and gave a handkerchief to Nardin. “She’s in tears,” Seacrest said at that time, according to Market Realist.
While heading into the Express Round, Nardin already had a Wild Card, and she won $12,500 in cash, alongside a trip to Curaçao. In the end, Nardin emerged as the big winner of the night with $14,500 in cash, and she eventually advanced to the Bonus Round. When Seacrest asked Nardin to pick a category for her Bonus Round puzzle, she selected "People." Then, Seacrest was joined on the stage by her daughter, Maddie, and her best friend, Char, for support.
As Nardin spun the wheel, she picked out a Golden Envelope and was faced with a two-word puzzle. After 'Wheel of Fortune' gave Nardin the standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E," she chose “B, H, W, O, and D" as her additional letters, and her final puzzle looked like “H _ _ H / _ _ H _ E _ E R S.” Even before Seacrest began the ten-second timer, Nardin started getting choked up as she already knew the right answer. As the clock counted down, Seacrest told Nardin, “I want you to win this so badly.” Without wasting any time, Nardin shouted, “High achievers!” which was the correct answer. Following that, Seacrest flipped out the Golden Envelope and informed Nardin that she had won an additional $40,000, bringing her to a grand total of $54,500.
Once the episode dropped, many fans stopped by the comments section to congratulate Nardin on her big win. One social media user wrote, "I had absolutely no idea, but Amy knew it right away. Awesome job.” Followed by a second user who penned, "Congratulations, Amy, on winning $40,000 for a total of $54,500. Well done, Amy." Another netizen went on to say, "Amy may be my favorite contestant from the New Era!!!” A user remarked, "Screaming Wheel of Fortune contestants are the BEST Wheel of Fortune contestants! Way to go, Amy!” A 'Wheel of Fortune' viewer commented, “My family absolutely loved Amy!! We just admired her energy!! Congrats again, Amy!”