'Wheel of Fortune' contestant dedicates $77,000 win to her late mother in heartwarming gesture
"Wheel of Fortune" bonus round wins are becoming a rare feat, and it's natural for any contestant to become emotional after achieving it. Although most of them are known to go over the top with celebrations, Linda Keyes won hearts with a touching gesture after winning. According to a report in TV Insider, her mother was a big fan of the show and passed away around the time her episode was being recorded. When the episode was finally aired, Keyes dedicated her win to her mom.
Keyes had picked the ‘What Are You Doing’ category and was given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E as per the norm for the show. She then had to pick three more consonants and one more vowel. She chose the letters D, G, H, and O. The contestant also had a Wild Card, which allowed her to choose an extra consonant, and she chose the letter C.
These were great picks, and she had helped as a lot of the letters had opened up during the first reveal. After all the chosen letters were turned, the puzzle read, “_OR_ _NG _RO_ND THE _ _RD.” The contestant’s 10 seconds started ticking. It took her a little while, but she eventually understood what the answer was. “Working around the yard!” she exclaimed, and the celebrations began.
Host Ryan Seacrest revealed the envelope to show that she had won $40,000 and a trip to England and Scotland. That’s quite a gift. Now, that win may feel bittersweet. As per a report in the Northwest Herald, Keyes recalled how her mother used to spend half an hour every day glued to the television screen watching “Wheel of Fortune.” Her daughter realized a common dream when she made it onto the show, and it could not have been a better tribute.
Her journey to reaching the show had been a long one. Turns out that Keyes had first auditioned for the show with Sony a couple of years ago. However, she never got a call back. Last year, got a chance to audition again.
Keyes auditioned over video call this time, but there was no response once again for several months. When she figured out that she probably wasn’t going to be selected, the Bonus Round winner received word that her episode would be taped in a couple of weeks. The contestant explained those two weeks as a “mad dash” to prepare for the show and learn as much as possible. Well, all that hard work finally paid off, and her mother would have had the biggest smile on her face, as Keyes had won a trip to England and Scotland, and cash and prizes worth 77,546.
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