Future Broadway star loses $40K on Wheel of Fortune’s music-themed round and we're as confused as you are
A Broadway star had an unexpected time on ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ His appearance came during the iHeart Radio week, where the contestants were supposed to return for another round if they won big. As per TV Insider, the contestants who would make a return for another show were to join multi-platinum artists Jason Derulo, Andy Grammer, and JoJo during the April 11, 2025, episode. Chris Richie, who was seen on the April 7 episode, was playing against Avita Broukhim, from Los Angeles, California, and Andrea Conley, from Prosper, Texas. Being from Mobile, Alabama, Richie was also an aspiring Broadway performer, having a musical household with a mom who was a gospel singer.
The game began with Brokukhim winning a Wild Card on the first puzzle, “The Hits From Coast to Coast.” Solving it also earned her $10,100 as well as a trip to a Nashville, Tennessee, music festival. During the “Before & After” Puzzle, Richie came with flying colors and solved the puzzle, “Scratching Post Malone.” While landing on Bankrupt previously, Conley earned some cash on the next puzzle, for which the answer was “Song Lyrics.” She further won a trip to see Keith Urban at his Chicago stop on tour, and had a total earnings of $9,350 after she solved “You’re my better half.”
During the Triple Toss-Up round, Richie successfully answered two of the three puzzles. In the next round, the Broadway star solved “Nailed It” and went ahead in the Bonus Round with $12,800. While Conley had a total earnings of $11,350, Broukhim went home with $10,100. Playing the Bonus Round Puzzle, the Alabama resident called his godmother and two friends on stage with him. When the Wheel gave him letters, “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” Richie chose “P, M, C, and A.”
Eventually, his puzzle looked like “MA_ _ R _ _CT_R_.” Soon, when the clock started ticking, Richie almost solved the puzzle, stating, “Major…. holiday, factory.” However, he couldn’t guess the second word and lost the Bonus Round. As per Ryan Seacrest, who joined the show this season after Pat Sajak retired, the correct answer was “Major Victory.” The host also briefed the contestant that he had lost out on an additional $40,000.
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Sadly, Richie could not make his way into the finals of the iHeart Radio week. As per his Backstage profile, Riche had acted in local Oklahoma shows, such as Kinky Boots, Matilda, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and more. The contestants who were seen on the concluding episode were Andrew Goodman, who played alongside Andy Grammer. Goodman had won $17,850 cash and a trip to Austin in the April 9 episode. Next was Mekdes Getahun, who won $19,500 cash and a trip to Vegas on the April 10 episode. The contestant played with JoJo. The third contestant who played the final round was Jay Tope, earning $17,000 cash and a trip to L.A., in the April 8 episode, playing alongside Jason Derulo in the finals. The final round of 'Wheel of Fortune' iHeart Radio week was held on April 11, 2025.