Stay-at-home dad tries to upgrade from minivan to Toyota on 'Wheel of Fortune' — but the win slips away
Chris Hou, a stay-at-home dad from Encinitas, California, recently participated in 'Wheel of Fortune' with the hopes of upgrading his ride to a brand-new Toyota. During the game show, he shared that he lives in a minivan with his wife, Jenn, and kids, Pepper and Cone. He also said they often visit Costco for free samples, calling it an 'adventure' with his kids. “We like to go to Costco to get the samples. And if my kids are still hungry after the samples, we go to the food court to get a hot dog for $1.50,” he told host Ryan Seacrest. “I want to ride in your minivan sometime. You seem like a lot of fun,” Seacrest reacted when Hou revealed that the lobster bisque was one of his favorite samples other than chocolates. However, the father of two failed to win the new automobile despite being so close to guessing the familiar answer during the 'Bonus Round.'
Hou competed with two Texas natives, Michelle Blunt, from Houston, and Erika Hillard, from Belton. During the fun introduction, Blunt revealed that she enjoyed rental scooter expeditions with her husband whenever they visited a new place during vacations. On the other hand, Hillard confessed to being married to an army veteran and admitted that she loved making pig sounds with her mouth closed. Seacrest then joked with a playful dig at co-host Vanna White, saying that White does that “all the time backstage.”
After which, Hou made a classic beginning by winning the first toss-up round, Blunt followed in close by correctly solving the second toss-up and adding $2,000 to her earnings. Hou then took the lead by solving the Crossword Instrument puzzle correctly and earned a Wild Card with total earnings of $4,900. Meanwhile, Blunt and Hillard couldn't advance further due to their bankrupt status. Hou continued his winning streak by solving the Mystery Puzzle -"All-Natural Nut Butter." However, his luck maxed out when he had to lose his Wild Card over a bankruptcy. He then continued by solving the Express Train round, earning $4,200 by guessing the right letters. Hou then solved “Blooming Blossoms” and won an exclusive luxury trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan. His total earnings by now were projected at $25,940.
Hillard was able to solve only one Triple Toss and earn $2,000 during the whole game. Blunt went on to solve the last two puzzles. She solved "Take a Chance, Let's Dance" and the final puzzle with her total earnings at $13,450. Hou collected $25,940 and advanced to the Bonus Round. He picked the “What Are You Doing?” category, and the puzzle board showcased “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” and he chose “F, D, C, and A.” With that, the puzzle looked like “_ _R_ _N_ FR_ _ _ _ _E.” The father of two couldn't fill in the correct letters before the buzzer sounded and ended up losing. Seacrest revealed the right answer, “Working From Home,” which ironically happened to coincide with Hou's life. Unfortunately, the contestant lost the brand-new Toyota.
Fans expressed their disappointment, "I remember meeting Chris when I was on WOF. He was chosen as an alternate. So happy he made it in! He was so friendly," a former contestant wrote. "Aww, a loss after 2 in a row wins. It's okay, we can get more wins next round onwards. Shame about missing out on the Toyota, though," a fan lamented. "At least he tried his best, that's all that matters," an online user noted.