'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest tells contestant 'you can squeeze me' after major win

From getting tackled to the ground by excited contestants to falling off a treadmill, being a host on popular game shows comes with the risk of physical injuries. But the newest host of "Wheel Of Fortune," Ryan Seacrest has famously admitted that he doesn't have a problem with getting hurt on the show. While in the past he said he is okay with being 'thrown around,' in a recent episode he allowed winner Charles Tapacio to squeeze him, following a big Bonus Round win. 

In the episode, Tapacio, an email marketer revealed that he had an alter ego called "DJ Wildcat." “During the week, I’m in email marketing as Charles; on the weekend, I’m DJ Wildcat… Wiki Wiki Wildcat,” he said. He added that he DJs at weddings, birthday parties, and "Wheel of Fortune" afterparties as well. 

As for the games, he performed incredibly, outpacing his competitors, Daneka Howard from Dallas, Texas, and Jeremy Foreshew from Los Angeles, California. The quirky DJ dominated the games right off the bat winning the first and the Mystery Round. He got an early lead with $11,200 and further in the Express Round, he increased his winnings to $25,650 and won a ski trip to The Green Mountains of Vermont.

In the end, Tapacio won the episode raking in up to $34,650, which by the show's standards is a rare and impressive amount. He went on to spin the wheel for the Bonus Round, after which Seacrest picked out the golden envelope for him.

For the final puzzle, Tapacio chose the category “What Are You Doing?”. With the standard letters "R, S, T, L, N, E" and his additional letters “C, P, M, and A," filled in, Tapacio was left with a three-word puzzle on the board that read,  “_ R _ T _ N _ / A / M E M _.”

He then had ten seconds to guess the phrase and as soon as the timer went off, without wasting a second, he said, “Writing A Memo," which turned out to be correct. “Congratulations, you got it!” Seacrest said before opening the prize envelope. The host revealed that the contestant had won an extra $40,000 which took his winnings to a grand total of $74,650, plus the trip to Vermont.

Celebrating the win, Tapacio looked awkward about going in for a hug. However, the American Idol host assured him that it was okay, saying, “You can squeeze me!” The pair then embraced in a grand hug as Tapacio’s friend joined them on stage to celebrate together.

“Are you surprised at yourself that you got that?” Seacrest asked. "I’m shocked,” Tapacio responded in the end. Viewers on social media enjoyed the wholesome moment on their favorite game show. "Omg RYAN!!!!! 💙 So awesome!!! Such a good host!!!" @jfoss327 commented on the show's Instagram post.

Fellow contestant Daneka also commented on the post congratulating Tapacio on the win."He was Gone with the win! He forgot I was next to him! Such an amazing day. Thank you @wheeloffortune for the opportunity!" she wrote.

The other player Jeremy also chimed in and wrote, "Congratulations, Charles!! 🔥🔥🔥 So great to see all of you! What a special experience!!"