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 / NEWS

‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant wins over $56,000 — all thanks to his dyslexic son who helped him

The family watched the show as a way to help their son learn problem solving skills from the games.
PUBLISHED FEB 14, 2025
Screenshot showing the Popovits family on The Wheel Of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the Popovits family on The Wheel Of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

Dyslexia is a learning disability but time and again people with the condition have defied all odds to emerge with brilliant ideas that change the world. From Apple founder Steve Jobs to artist Pablo Picasso, some of the most innovative and creative minds in the world were dyslexic. Even on "Wheel of Fortune," fans were left teary-eyed when a contestant revealed how his dyslexic son inspired him to compete on the show. Matt Popovits, who won $40,000 in the bonus round, credited his son for the success since the boy loved watching the show and wanted his dad to participate in it. 

Screenshot showing Matt Popovits on The Wheel Of Fortune
Screenshot showing Matt Popovits on The Wheel Of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

During the introductions, host Ryan Seacrest asked Popovits what encouraged him to be on the game show. Joined by his family on stage, Popovits shared that one of his children encouraged him to apply. “I have two great kids—Ava and Jack,” he said. And when Jack was diagnosed with dyslexia, we said, ‘Let’s watch Wheel as a way of helping him learn to read and spell,'" he explained.

He further shared that one day while watching the show, his son told him that he should audition for the show. “And I said, ‘I will if you help me, and he did and here we are!'” the player added.

Screenshot showing the contestant's family
Screenshot showing the contestant's family (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

On the show, Popovits, a pastor from Houston, Texas, played against Jessica Kuharik and Kunteia Willis. He performed well through the general rounds of the game and gained a big lead over the two contestants. In the end, Popovits proceeded to the Bonus Round after winning $16,350 in cash and a trip to Mexico.

For the final puzzle of the show, Popovits picked the category “Phrase”. After getting the standard letters, “R, S, T, L, N, E,” he went on to choose “B, G, H, and A," as his additional letters. With all the information filled in, the puzzle on the board read, “_ ' _     ALL TH_ _ BS.”

Screenshot showing the puzzle
Screenshot showing the puzzle (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

It seemed like Popovits had done well with the choice of letters, as he nearly had the last word filled in. When Seacrest set off the ten-second timer, the contestant didn’t waste a second to guess, “I’m all thumbs!" The answer turned out to be correct and to add to the player's delight, Seacrest revealed that Popovits had won $40,000 more which took his total prize money to $56,350.

Screenshot showing the winning moment
Screenshot showing the winning moment (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

His family rushed to the middle to hug Popovits and to celebrate the win. Seacrest asked the player's son, Jack, what he thought of his dad’s win, to which he replied, “Amazing!”



 

After the episode aired, Popovits shared pictures of him and his family and friends watching his episode in his living room. “This will go down as a top ten moment in my 44 years of life," he wrote in the caption of the Instagram post, expressing his emotions. He further shared that what made the moment more special was having his family right by his side on the stage. 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Matt Popovits (@mattpopovits)


 

In another Instagram post, Popovits explained how Jack helped him get on the show. He shared that they were auditioning for the show just weeks after Jack came up with the idea. He attributed all his success to Jack as without him, he may not have been on the show.


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Matt Popovits (@mattpopovits)


 

Fans of the show couldn’t get enough of the emotional story as well. "We watched it and cheered you on! You are a wonderful father! Congratulations 🎉" a viewer @sartinteam commented on Popovits' post.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The owner of the collection of Danny Lyon SNCC Civil Rights Posters was left astonished in the end.
17 hours ago
After Harrison bought a signed speed bag for $250, he happened to meet the star at a dinner.
20 hours ago
The contestant, Doug, had a hard time coming up with a sensible answer.
23 hours ago
While Jennings performed a half-baked trick, it still managed to thoroughly entertain the fans.
1 day ago
The player, Andy Schwartz registered the first loss of a car since Seacrest took over as host.
1 day ago
The guest kept his grandparents' antique instruments under his bed for years.
1 day ago
Harris wasn't the only one who came up with an answer that shocked everyone.
1 day ago
Despite getting a high auction estimate, the owner of the Meiji Period lamp chose to keep it.
2 days ago
The player, Gabriel Berkowitz pulled off a perfect night winning over $45,000 and a car.
2 days ago
Harvey showed no mercy after he found out that Sweet Lou Dunbar didn't know how apps work.
2 days ago
The founder of Plop Star made an unforgettable entry and a sad exit from the show.
3 days ago
The host is otherwise quick to reprimand families for backing absurd answers.
3 days ago
While the Marvel comic book fetched a $50,000 appraisal, Harrison felt it was too rich for him.
3 days ago
Jimmy Alexander became the first player to lose a brand-new car on season 43 of the show.
4 days ago
The contestant, Brianne Peterson got extremely unlucky with her letter picks for the final puzzle.
4 days ago
The guest was told that the Jasper Johns Flag Print wouldn't be valuable but it was worth thousands.
4 days ago
It didn’t help that Alvin Rosales was playfully scolded by the host just before losing the Bonus Round.
5 days ago
The photos featured some looks of the show's legendary former host, Alex Trebek, as well.
5 days ago
The player, Kate Stuntz, pulled off a miraculous win to take home over $68,000 and a trip to Iceland.
5 days ago
The owner couldn’t believe the value of Jane Peterson’s "The Floats" gouache painting.
6 days ago