‘Wheel of Fortune’ player misses $75K in brutal final round — but her dad said something that melted everyone
Celina Alvarado had everything going for her as she advanced to the Bonus Round of 'Wheel of Fortune.' She made $30,350 in savings and also won a lavish trip to Costa Rica. Host Ryan Seacrest revealed that the Zumba instructor was in the running for a brand-new car and the $100,000 grand prize. But did Alvarado succeed in winning the puzzle round? The "serial first-time trier" from Arizona was pitted against J. Mark Smith from Decaturville, Tennessee, and Paulomi Dholakia from Orlando, Florida. Dholakia, a tarot reader, led the game after correctly solving the first toss-up in the 'Occupation' category.
She guessed 'Chief Happiness Officer' to Seacrest’s surprise. “That is it. Yeah. Correct,” he reacted as the contestants paused for a light-hearted moment. “I wasn’t aware that was a thing either, but every company should have one. Don’t you think?” the seasoned host asked. "I agree," Dholakia chimed in. Her winning streak continued, and she earned $17,750 in total. The Zumba instructor was waiting for her turn, and finally taking the lead, she solved the prize puzzle and earned a luxurious trip to Costa Rica valued at $18,350. Alvarado completed the remaining puzzles to go to the Bonus Round after earning $30,350.
Dholakia ended up in second place with $21,750 in winnings, and Smith, the third contestant, went home with $7,100 in total earnings. Before the Bonus Round began, Seacrest witnessed a heartwarming father-daughter bond. "Wow, so much money already. We're going for more here in just a second with Celina. So your dad is here, huh?", the host asked as the camera featured Alvarado's dad cheering from backstage. "Yes. My dad is here with me," the player replied. "Wish you the best of luck!," her father said lovingly. "So sweet. I don't want to interrupt this moment. Go ahead and spin the wheel. And good luck, as he said," Seacrest smiled.
Alvarado felt the pressure mount as she chose the 'Person' category, with a brand-new ride and a lot of cash on the line. "There’s a car on there. $100,000 on there, a lot of money on the envelopes," Seacrest motivated her. The 'Wheel of Fortune' puzzle board featured the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” and without wasting time, she picked “M, P, D, and I.” The puzzle board then looked read: “TRI_I_ _ _ _ _.” For the next ten seconds, she came close to the right answer but kept making incorrect guesses. "Trivia quiz,” and “Trivia kids," she said, and the buzzer finally went off.
To her disappointment, Vanna White then revealed the right answer: Trivia Buff. "You were right there. Another second or two, you would have gotten it," Seacrest said. He then opened the golden envelope and announced that Alvarado had missed out on making $75,000, which would have boosted her earnings to $105,000. Viewers online speculated that the $75,000 cash prize was perhaps unlucky for the players. "The $75,000 envelope is obviously cursed at this point since no one won it at all this season," one fan wrote. "We got 122nd shows with Still No million dollars & $75,000 winners on Wheel of Fortune season 42nd," another added. "We’ll get a $75,000 winner someday. Today is not that day," a hopeful third agreed.