Middle school teacher wins $91K on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and lets out a scream Ryan Seacrest won’t forget
Genna Root, a 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant, let go of her inhibitions and did something crazy after earning the $40,000 bonus cash prize. The middle school teacher didn't waste a second after correctly solving the Bonus Round puzzle and jumped into host Ryan Seacrest's arms while screaming in jubilation. An amused Seacrest joined in on the celebration and danced with Root on stage. Earlier in the game, the contestant won big by solving the final round puzzles and collecting a cool $14,456 along with a luxurious trip to Antarctica. Root advanced to the Bonus Round after defeating her opponents, Roberta Brown, a theater artist, and Derek Spartz, a car enthusiast.
"Who's with you, cheering you on?" Seacrest inquired as the camera panned to Root's supporters. She introduced her mom, Sharon, and one of her best friends, Suzanne, before giving the wheel a big spin. "They said, Get it, girl, so give it a good spin. Let's see what you can do. We got a lot of money on there, Genna. All right. It's gonna be a big, big moment here. Will she get the $100,000? We would love that!" the host encouraged. Root chose the “What are you doing?” category for the Bonus Round, and the puzzle board showcased the standard letters: R, S, T, L, N, and E. The California native then chose D, C, P, and O, and the puzzle board looked like: “_CT_N_ ON _ _P_LSE.”
Root could be seen shaking with excitement as she looked at the easy puzzle. She was anticipating the buzzer and was ready to blurt out the correct answer even before the 10-second countdown began. "You will have 10 seconds. Good luck," Seacrest said, and she immediately answered, "Acting on Impulse." The host then gave out the answer while holding the Golden Envelope in hand. Root, now yelling with joy across the stage, suddenly made a quick move and gave Seacrest a tight, excited hug. The host hugged her right back with a smile on his face. Root lost her mind and began screaming even louder when he revealed the bonus cash prize.
She celebrated her success with a group hug with her mom and friend, and watching her enthusiasm, Seacrest joined. He swung his arm and kicked a leg out, but quickly grabbed his "bad" knee and stopped instantly. "Oh!" he exclaimed, dramatically clutching his leg. He appeared to bounce back quickly and reminded Root that she had also won the Antarctica trip. "Oh my god! I did?" she exclaimed. The middle school teacher walked away after making a whopping $91,096 on the game show. Fans enjoyed the moment and expressed their reactions on YouTube.
"Way to go, Genna! You got it, girl! You did a great job!" a viewer wrote. "Good job Genna! 91K+?! That's not something you usually see on WOF!" another fan chimed in. "Everyone jumping all over Ryan every night when they win, and he's loving it. I don't quite remember that happening so much w/Pat. Anyhow, congrats on the win!!!!" a third commented.