Watch Weeknights

Find Your Station
Shannon H. Shannon H.
08/22/2024
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My husband Tim and I flew into Los Angeles late on Tuesday, August 27th and I woke up on August 28th at 3:30 pm.  I was so anxious trying to make myself presentable.  I did not have a steamer for my shirt for the outfit that was chosen.  I wore a greenish blue blouse that I purchased from our local thrift store in Bowling Green, KY Bargain Hunt, brown pants and rust colored cowboy boots that I had.  I tried to throw in a cowboy hat but the producers advised me against it.

We got to stay at Four Points Sheraton in Culver City, CA at the discounted Sony Studios rate of 175 a night.  It was a short drive to Sony Studios.  Tim’s drivers license had expired so we were forced to Uber or Lyft everywhere we went.  I had to be at the studio at 7 am so I left the hotel at 5:45 am.  I was the first Wheel of Fortune guest to arrive at Sony Studios.  They had us wait on the first level of a parking garage with white seats all around for the contestants to gather.  Kara from Florida was the first man to arrive followed by Kevin from Nashville and then John from Cleveland and then Brandon.  Lori from North Dakota sat by me and she had her nails painted with wheel of fortune details all over them.  Tiffany from Louisiana also sat by me.  We had great conversation about how we applied and what we did for a living.  We were all hoping not all 21 people would show up so there would be less people eliminated.  Out of 21 people they were only going to pick 18 for the show.  They made us all go through security and I had a big suitcase with me because I wanted to make sure I had two back up outfits just in case and I brought my hats, makeup and stuff.

Vanna White in her jeans, hair in a bun and no make up came to the parking garage to greet us all.  She was so much smaller than I ever imagined but so extremely nice and real. Seeing her like that made me love her even more.   I immediately thought how I was going to look like an amazon compared to her on tv though.

We then were escorted to a nice room with tables and chairs for us all to sit at and sign paperwork. We were given Wheel of Fortune pens. We were all given Wheel of Fortune name tags.  We watched videos about the rules of the show and they went over all the rules of being there for the day.    They brought in professional make up and hair artists to work on all of us.  I was the second in line for one hair makeup and hair stylist.  She did my makeup.  When I got my makeup done we were all called out to go see the stage for the first time and do our introduction practice rounds.  The set was magically decorated for Halloween and the wheel looked so much smaller than I had imagined.  It was a beautiful set with a black floor.  There were riser platforms in which we stood and there were drop offs we were warned about. At the time of the practice round I was not sure what they were going to ask me because we had not rehearsed prior.  It was about Halloween traditions that I participated in.  I mentioned how I like to choose positive characters as costumes for Halloween and that my husband and I have done pairings like Gilligan and Mary Ann, Elvis and Priscilla.  I also mentioned how we always love to visit downtown main street in Smiths Grove, KY to see the groves of kids that visit in costume, all the decorated homes and trick or treating taking place.  The staff member asking the questions during the rehearsal, said it sounded like a Hallmark movie.

We then filmed our Hometown Howdies that would be released one week prior to the show airing.  We had to say our name where we were from and tell everyone to be sure to watch us on Wheel of Fortune.


After that, we went into the holding room and it was time for my hair to be done.  There was a professional hair stylist who did my hair. I think her name was Regina.  She does hair for all the Young and The Restless characters like Melody Scott (Nikki) and all of them.  This show films fairly close to where we were. I was so excited about that because I watched Young and The Restless faithfully with my  mom and grandmother growing up.  I couldn’t imagine that the lady doing my hair and actually touched the heads of Y & R’s characters that I loved and she also had done hair for the legendary Vanna and  Pat Sajak!

While I was getting my hair done, they started making the announcements of who made the show.  My nerves were a mess.  I remember them calling Tiffany towards the beginning and I was so happy for her.  I knew that she would make it because she did so well in the introductions. She looked beautiful in her hot pink blouse and was very articulate.  They started calling names after names and mine was not being called.  I was praying to please be picked and it was towards the end of possibilities and my name was called.  I  cried but realized I was destroying my makeup so I better pull myself together.   I was so excited on a level like I have only experienced on my wedding day, after giving birth, making football homecoming queen in high school. It was up there with all of those.  The producers then drew for the order of shows we would be on and I was chosen for show 2 for the day out of 6 shows.  To me that was the perfect placement.  I did not have to go first and could watch the show first and get used to Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White being on stage with us.  I am a huge fan of American Idol and watched even season 1 when Ryan was a co host with another young man who I don’t recall his name.

One of the staff assistants mentioned that I would need my blouse steamed and that she would do that for me.  I waited around for her to do that and she never did so I went ahead and got my microphone attached to me by another assistant.  All six show contestants and the alternates waited on the left hand side of the stage.  I sat on the back row so that I could watch the show better.  We were told that we all will play a practice round.  Show 1 went first and they had a fill in host and a fill in letter turner.  They went over practicing our introductions and we played a round of the game.  Mine was a crosswords puzzle.  I think the theme was fun and games. I actually won the practice round.  It was very exciting.

After we all had our practice rounds I was called back for the girl to steam my shirt.  I went into a little closet and took off my blouse and put on my black wrap shirt.  She steamed my shirt and took off my Wheel of Fortune Name Tag.   After she was done steaming it, I put my blouse back on and my name tag back on.  I then went to get my microphone put back on.  

It was now time for the first game featuring Mallory, Brandon and another lady that I did not get her name.  I had expected Brandon to win he was good at solving puzzles from the practice round and was a go getter.  Everything ended up in Mallory’s favor and she ended up winning over 80,000 in cash and prizes including a trip to Europe.  I was amazed how well she did.  She had brought her two sons with her and they were thrilled for their mom.   They got to be on tv after the bonus round.

Before the first show wrapped up my show participants were called to the dressing room for touch ups of hair and make up.  They were making us say phrases that helped us with our slang talking.   They wanted to make sure I say “and” instead of “an”  Watching and Waiting….instead of watch'en an wait ‘en.

The contestants that was paired up with was Antoine and Caretha. They were both very nice.  I was so excited to meet Ryan Seacrest! It was so great to see him in person.  I remember whispering to him that I was a huge fan of his.  Vanna looked so glamorous in her orange sequin dress.  The first puzzle was a toss up and Antoine got it.  We got to use our buzzers.  I was told that you push it and then let off of it you don’t just hold it in.   I kept wanting to look at my opponents arrow when I spun the wheel instead of my own.  It took me a moment to figure out to look at my own arrow.  One of the puzzles I won was Loch Ness Monster Mash.   I won a toss up of Bobsledding in which Caretha shouted out the answer but I buzzed in first and got to answer and solve the puzzle.  On one spin I landed on the gambling $1000 bonus that could be 10,000 if you risked it.  I think I called out an n and got 4 letters turned.  I had the opportunity to keep 4000 or gamble it to try to win 10,000.   If I got it wrong, I would get a bankrupt.  I stuck with the safe 4000.  I didn’t get to turn over the wedge to reveal what it had on the other side.  It will be forever be a mystery if I made the right decision but I feel good about it.   There was another puzzle that came up and I was doing good and I knew that the puzzle had  _______ and wine festival but I could not figure out what the first word was so I decided to spin the wheel and I got a lose a turn.  I think Caretha got that puzzle and won a trip to Washington DC.  I spun the wheel once and landed on the Halloween prize and I won a trip to Denver Colorado Resort & Spa with airfare and rental car included.  During this puzzle the board malfunctioned and we all had to walk away and face the back wall while the crew fixed the problem with the big message board.  We all had to turn around at the same time.  I will be anxious to watch the edited show to see how they fixed that problem on air.  On one of my spins I called out for a letter R and Antoine had already called an R.  I should have glanced at the used letter board that was on the far left of the set.  That was a silly mistake.  On the food and wine puzzle I should have bought a vowel instead of spinning the wheel and I think I would have solved it.  Caretha ended up getting really close to my total but I ended up having the largest total of all three contestants and I was selected to go to the bonus round!

Ryan came over to me and I was so happy and started slapping his hand like three for four times!  The crew must have thought I was drunk because I kept on tripping off the riser I was standing on! I was so focused on the game I wasn’t watching where I was going.  It was really embarrassing to me because all the people watching in the crowd and the other contestants watching. Hopefully all that will be edited out of the show!

I was amazed during every commercial break so many staff members rushed to the stage and started cleaning everything.  They have this show down to a science.  Everything moved perfectly.  Now it was time for the bonus round!  The crew leader walked me over the bonus wheel and explained how it worked and showed me another trip hazard right to the right of where I was standing at the wheel.   I spun the wheel and it landed on the multitude of stars.  I got excited about that and Ryan said something like I’m a Movie Star.  I then walked over to the stage where they had an x for placement.   They gave me the usual letters of RSTNLE and I chose H, C, B and A  I believe.   The puzzle showed   ____  _ear _t _ell.   I guessed Can Wear It Well.  I should have looked at the used letter board to my left, I had already called out a c and the n was given to me so it couldn’t have been that.  The correct answer was You Wear It Well.   I was so close but so wrong.  I could kick myself for not figuring that out.     They asked me who I brought with me and I said Tim, my husband and Real Estate Partner.  Ryan mentioned something about me plugging that in and getting a laugh out of it.  

After the show was over they wanted me to walk over to Ryan and Vanna and have a conversation.  Ryan had his dog Georgia on set dressed in her Halloween bumble bee costume.. Everyone that knows me knows I am the biggest dog lover ever.  I got to pet her and ask Ryan how old she was  and she was 10.5 years old.  I mentioned to Ryan that I coordinated a local Paws In The Park event in my hometown and I mentioned to him if he ever comes to Kentucky I could set him in one of our Airbnbs at Barren River Lake in Kentucky.  I also asked Ryan if we could audition here for American Idol in a joking manner.   He was very nice and polite.   I was amazed on how he stepped into this role and owned it.  No one realizes how many rules there are to the individual puzzles.  This was the 7th week of Ryan’s Wheel of Fortune Career and he appeared as a seasoned vet.   There are a lot of rules that you don’t think about watching it on tv.  

After my game I sat in the contestant area and watched the third game.  I wanted to go ahead and have lunch with the contestants that was going to take place after the third game.   They had pizza for us.  I sat with one of the alternates and two other lady contestants at lunch.  I felt so sorry for Linda that had family in the audience and they had no idea that she would not be going on the show.  We had no communication with anyone while we were in the contestant area.  They wouldn’t allow any cell phones or communication.  After lunch I contacted Tim and he was ready to go so we left the studio.  We were going to stay in California for the remainder of the week to sight see and visit many of the area tv production studios.

After it was all over we couldn’t stop talking about the experience of Wheel of Fortune.  It will be a day I will never forget. Plus I walked away with over 20,000 in cash and prizes.  That is what I made in one year in my first full time job.  I think we will plan our Colorado trip in May or June of 2025.  It is a state that I have never been to other than the Denver Airport in which I didn’t see anything of the state.

After we returned to Kentucky it was so hard not to say a word about the experience of the show to family and friends.  We managed to keep it quiet and now we are so excited about watching it on October 22 and seeing how our family and friends respond.  Tim posted on Facebook that I was going to be on the show on Thursday morning before the show airs.  I was in shock on getting over 800 likes from friends.  Instead of doing a big watch party, we decided just to have immediate family at our home and watch it together and have a little pizza party.  I am so excited to watch the six shows that were taped the day I was there.  I got to know many of the contestants and I can’t wait to see all the outcomes on the shows I did not get to witness that day.  I thank all the production staff of Wheel of Fortune so much for giving me this amazing experience that I can tell my future grandkids someday.  I will never ever forget this!  Hopefully my community will feel that I dd them proud!