ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's daughter sheds tears of joy after $40,000 win — makes fans emotional

"So happy for him!! And his daughter getting emotional was so sweet, too!" a fan reacted.
UPDATED DEC 17, 2025
Vanna White and contestant Dedric on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant Dedric on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" at times creates powerful moments of triumph and an emotional connection between the audience and the contestant. Fans had been frustrated by bonus round losses, but, a player named Dedric broke the dry spell to collect a $40,000 cash prize. His 10-year-old daughter, Ashton, shed tears of joy after watching her father win. Fans couldn't stop admiring the touching moment between father and daughter filled with innocence.

Wheel
Ryan Seacrest and contestant Dedric on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune) 

Dedric dominated the game show from the start. He quickly solved the Second Toss-Up and won $2,000 with the answer "Seen a Ghost." During the Prize Puzzle - Phrase round, he guessed the right puzzle, "The Ultimate in Tranquility," and won a trip to Patagonia worth $16,390. Dedric won the Triple Toss-Up round twice and collected $4,000. Thus, bringing his total to $20,740. He then emerged as the top winner and proceeded to the Bonus Round

Wheel
Contestant Dedric's family on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune) 

"I have my lovely wife, Janelle, and my ten-year-old daughter, Ashton," Dedric said while introducing his family to host Ryan Seacrest before giving the wheel a big spin. He chose the puzzle category "What are you doing?" Dedric had the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, and chose G, D, C, and the vowel A. The board then showed " _, _, _, _, N, G, A, G, L, _, T, C, _."

Wheel
Vanna White and contestant Dedric on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune) 

With the new letters, Dedric successfully solved the puzzle and answered, "Fixing a glitch," within 10 seconds. This earned him an additional $40,000, bringing his total to $64,740. "Put a big bow on all this cash. $40,000," Seacrest reacted as Dedric expressed his excitement and happiness on stage with a little dance. "What does it feel like in this moment?" Seacrest asked as Dedric's wife and daughter joined them for the celebration. 

Wheel
Vanna White and contestant Dedric on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune)

"Oh, man, I don't know. I'm still processing, but, man, this has been great," Dedric replied, choking a little. As the camera panned towards an overwhelmed Ashton, she was shedding happy tears for her father. "Wheel of Fortune" fans couldn't hold back as they witnessed the sweet moment. "It was wonderful. The tears of your daughter were lovely," @sy-kd6km commented. "So happy for him!! And his daughter getting emotional was so sweet, too!" @loveforeignaccents chimed in. 

Wheel
Contestant Dedric's daughter Ashton on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune) 

"That was a good solve. At the same time I was trying to figure out the puzzle he nearly solved it instantly," @tima.curtis2488 praised. "Same puzzle on Nov 23, 2018, and solved for $36K," @sammylerman7136 pointed out. "We have a big winner Happy Holidays," @annettecarlin4800 celebrated. 

You can watch the touching moment here

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' fans convinced player was 'robbed' of $40,000 as they 'heard her' say the right answer

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant tackles Ryan Seacrest to the ground in bizarre TV moment

'Wheel of Fortune' player loses $40,000 bonus after an unfortunate twist in her letter choices

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Martha Shedden believes Trump's plan was only aimed at helping wealthy Americans.
15 hours ago
The president's pick for Fed Chair has repeatedly said AI productivity gains will allow rate cuts.
15 hours ago
A police investigation confirmed the fraud and the accused has been sentenced to prison.
15 hours ago
This is not the case in all states but it certainly holds true in most cases.
15 hours ago
Madogiwa-zoku or the Window tribe are a set of elderly employees retained in a company with a menial desk job without being rendered obsolete
19 hours ago
The Social Security fund is running low and could be insolvent in six years.
20 hours ago
A new report shows 182,000 residents exited the high-tax state of Massachusetts in the past 5 years.
1 day ago
AI adoption is accelerating, but hidden risks could cost companies dearly.
1 day ago
The job growth was mostly driven by the healthcare and social assistance sector.
1 day ago
Pressure from the government and consumers choices have forced this decision.
3 days ago
She took her time to secure the big prize, drawing a loud cheer from the audience.
3 days ago
The billionaire also predicted that other companies would follow suit in the future.
3 days ago
His comments have led to several Americans calling him out for not reducing beef prices.
3 days ago
Billionaires grew their wealth by an incredible 22% in the last year as regular Americans struggled.
3 days ago
Americans in a Reuters/Ipsos poll identified the cost of living as the primary factor influencing their votes in the upcoming midterms.
3 days ago
This will be damning for the DHS, which is already under immense pressure from the public.
4 days ago
Experts believe that it has to do with getting a sense of momentary control.
4 days ago
It seemed like the contestant was heading towards defeat, but his luck soon turned around.
4 days ago
The company says it has taken action to protect its rights as an importer to seek duty refunds.
4 days ago