‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant wins $67K after opponent’s blunder — and her reaction will make you smile

“Loved watching you win and you knew that quickly. You were fast," Ryan Seacrest told Elsie Pierce.
PUBLISHED JUL 7, 2025
Screenshots of Ryan Seacrest and Elsie Pierce from an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshots of Ryan Seacrest and Elsie Pierce from an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

A 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant couldn't control her emotions after winning a huge cash prize on the fan-favorite game show. In an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune' which originally aired on April 25, a contestant named Elsie Pierce from Secaucus, New Jersey, secured a big win following a competitor's mistake, which resulted in her wild celebration. In the end, Pierce walked away with $67,000  as well as a dreamy trip after the Bonus Round. During the episode, Pierce played against Aerial Turner, a probation officer from Detroit, Michigan, and James Mulaney, a professional drag entertainer from New York, New York. 



 

Things started well for Pierce, as she bagged an early lead by solving the first few puzzles. On the other hand, when we talk about Pierce's competitors, they failed to get off the mark. Speaking of Mulaney, he struggled with cracking the puzzles and landed on the Bankrupt Wedge. During the Prize Puzzle round, Mulaney finally got on the board, but he couldn't decipher the puzzle, which looked like “_L_ING  ON A MAGIC CARPET." With two letters left on the puzzle, Mulaney picked the letter 'B.' Unfortunately, B wasn't present in the puzzle. 



 

Eventually, Pierce solved the puzzle “FLYING ON A MAGIC CARPET.” After realizing his mistake, Mulaney covered his face with his hands and shook his head. Then, Mulaney missed out on a trip to Disney. As per TV Insider, the game show host Ryan Seacrest told Mulaney, "No, I’m sorry. No ‘B.' You did all that work, James." After solving the Prize Puzzle, Pierce won a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Still, things picked up for Mulaney when he solved the final puzzle, “Be our Guest! Be our Guest!” and won $3,000.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune)


 

At the end of the game, Pierce emerged as the big winner of the night with $27,427, a trip to Disney, and a Wild Card. Meanwhile, Mulaney went home with $3,000 and Turner walked away with $6,450. Ultimately, Pierce advanced to the Bonus Round. For the Bonus Puzzle category, Pierce selected "What are you doing?" After 'Wheel of Fortune' gave Pierce “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” Pierce picked “P, M, F, O, and H" and the puzzle read, "FLO_N_ER_N_   _ _O_T.” 



 

As the timer began, Pierce immediately guessed, "Floundering About.” After her correct guess during the Bonus Round, Pierce won an additional $40,000 from the Golden Envelope, which took her to a total of $67,427. Shortly afterward, Pierce screamed, clapped, and jumped. Along with this, Pierce even hugged Seacrest while celebrating her victory. With tears in her eyes, Pierce said, “I’m so happy,” to which Seacrest replied, “Loved watching you win, and you knew that quickly. You were fast."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune)


 

Once the episode dropped, several fans rushed to the comments section to congratulate Pierce on her big win. One social media user wrote, "Way to go, Elsie! What a great way to end Disney Princess Week!" Followed by a second user who penned, "Tonight, we have another $40,000 winner! Congratulations, Elsie! And yes, magic is in the air!" Another 'Wheel of Fortune' fan commented, "Way to go, Elise, congrats on your win and your success on the bonus round of Wheel of Fortune, you deserve it."

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

From Peter personal life to addressing the fate of 'The Father', we look at some key storylines that needs explaining in 'The Night Agent' Season 4
3 hours ago
Four episodes in, 'Love Story' continues to generate the buzz, with the anticipation for episode 5 growing by the day
3 hours ago
A renewal for he fourth season purely depends on the ratings for the recently released season 3
7 hours ago
‘Tell Me Lies’ may have ended, but Disney’s quiet spinoff talks hint the drama could return with new faces.
12 hours ago
'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' has received positive reviews since its premiere in January and looks poised for a long future ahead.
1 day ago
The third season of the Disney+ series will feature the Greek goddesses Hera and Demeter, along with the Greek god Apollo
1 day ago
Peter Sutherland uncovers a White House conspiracy led by the President himself in 'The Night Agent' Season 3
1 day ago
'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' features a familiar 'Marvel' villain actor tied to Thanos, and many viewers may not have noticed.
1 day ago
'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' Season 2 clip takes viewers back into the dangers of Skull Island
1 day ago
Benoît Magimel plays a hunter who mysteriously becomes the hunted in the upcoming TV series
1 day ago