‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant loses Bonus Round — then grabs and lifts Ryan Seacrest over tough puzzle
‘Wheel of Fortune’ viewers were left laughing on the floor after a Texas contestant had a hilarious moment with host Ryan Seacrest after facing a loss on the show. On the March 13 episode, Bill Friskey, a Merkel resident, played against Kimberly Steele, from San Diego, California, and Haley Yaeger, from Vienna, Virginia. Before the puzzle solving began, the trio shared camping tips with the host.
The former ‘Live with Kelly Mark’ star asked Friskey if he liked Sardines, to which the contestant replied, “No.” Seacrest told Friskey, “They’re so easy. Peel back and eat them with a fork right out of the container.” The contestant, eager to start the game, waited for his puzzles and stated, “Ok, I’ll take your word for it.” Seacrest laughed and quipped, “You’re not going to try it, are you?” as per TV Insider. The game soon began as Steele solved the first Toss-Up, “Manager Trainee.” Moving ahead, she also solved “Eureka California.” Friskey then solved “Before & After,” however, landed on 'Bankrupt' halfway into his turn. Soon, Yaeger solved the puzzle “Carrot Stick Figure” and earned $1,000. In the Mystery Round, Yaeger gained more cash.
Subsequently, Steele went, who unfortunately landed on 'Lose a Turn', meaning it was Friskey's turn again. The contestant got on board when he guessed the letter 'L'. Interestingly, Friskey’s luck played well as the puzzle had five 'L's in it. The contestant then solved 'All the Bells and Whistles', winning $4,550. Further in the Prize Round, Friskey landed on 'Bankrupt', with Yager suggesting 'O', a letter that was not on the board.
In the triple Toss-Ups, Yaeger earned $4,000, with Steele earning $2,000, as he solved the third one. With Friskey moving into the Bonus Round, he picked the 'What are you doing?' category. The wheel then gave him 'R, S, T, L, N, and E,' after which Friskey guessed 'C, M, D, and O.' Now the puzzle read '_ _ _ _ _ N_ _T O_T' on the screen. With only 10 seconds on the timer, the contestant solved two words, “It Out,” but failed to guess the first word in the puzzle, which was “Hugging.” As the timer went off, Seacrest told Friskey it was “Hugging it Out.”
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“Aww. And I’m a hugger, ” the contestant told Seacrest. So, the host asked Friskey, “Now, give me a big hug.” The Texas resident then grabbed the host and lifted him up, squeezing him tightly. As per Today, Seacrest took over the hosting duties on September 9, 2024, in Season 41. He joined the show after former host Pat Sajak retired. “Welcome to ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ I am your host, Ryan Seacrest. I still can’t believe my luck being here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you, and of course, my good friend Vanna White,” Seacrest stated on his very first ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episode.