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 tackles Ryan Seacrest to the ground in bizarre TV moment

The announcer of the show, Jim Thornton had to jump in and ask the contestant to go easy on the host.
PUBLISHED JAN 29, 2025
Screenshots showing Ryan Seacrest and the contestant on Wheel of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshots showing Ryan Seacrest and the contestant on Wheel of Fortune (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

When contestants win on "Wheel of Fortune," it's also an exciting moment for the fans as well as the host, resulting in a charged-up environment on the sets. But, some contestants go too far in their celebration, just like Daniel Thomas who ended up taking host Ryan Seacrest down. Following his big Bonus Round win, Thomas tackled Ryan Seacrest to the ground. While it was funny to watch, fans were concerned about their favorite star's wellbeing.

Screenshot showing Daniel Thomas on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Daniel Thomas on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

In the recent episode, Thomas from San Marcos, California, went up against Dina Carlow from Virginia, and Amaryllis DeJesus from Florida. He performed well throughout the games to win $31,950 cash and a trip to Alaska and reach the most awaited Bonus Round. Before spinning the wheel, Thomas was joined by his dad and family members on the stage.

After picking out the golden envelope, Thomas chose the “Living Things” category for the final puzzle. With the standard "R, S, T, L, N, E" and the player's additional letters “H, G, D, and O," filled in, the board read, “G _ _ _ _ E S.”

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

As the timer started, Thomas looked baffled at first, struggling to even come up with a guess. With just two seconds remaining on the clock, Thomas found his eureka moment and yelled “Guppies!” as the answer. It turned out to be correct as Seacrest said, “That’s it! You did it."

Thomas ran over to hug the host and in the process, he ended up taking Seacrest down to the studio floor. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Thomas asked as the fall didn't look pretty.

Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on the floor (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on the floor (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

However, the host assured me that he was okay while getting back to his feet. “I’m good,” he said before opening the prize envelope to reveal that Thomas had won an extra $40,000. This took his total to a whopping $71,950 prompting another energetic celebration. The host then humorously backed away and ducked behind the wheel. “Vanna, you’ll have to take over,” he joked, clutching his stomach.

Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest running away from the player  (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest running away from the player (Image source:YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Even the announcer of the show, Jim Thornton chimed in with a joke saying, "Daniel, easy on our host, but celebrate with $40,000!" The overjoyed contestant kept profusely apologizing to Seacrest for the accidental tackle. The host reassured him saying, "Don't worry — I loved it!" Seacrest then asked the player how did he get to the answer in the last few seconds. To this, the Pennsylvania native joked, "Push you over or solve the puzzle?"



 

Seacrest further commented on the fall in a quick moment shared on social media with co-host Vanna White. "Pick me up, throw me over, tackle me, I'm totally fine with it," the host joked in the short clip which was captioned "Bookmarking this video for when we see an influx of people tackling Ryan in the show... 🤣"


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune)


 

Even viewers had a great time watching Seacrest take the big fall. "That was so wholesome! Are you sure you’re okay, Ryan? 😂" @darrelpullie wrote. "Ryan got guppied!! I’m here for it & I’ve never looked forward to watching The Wheel like I do now. Fresh breath to an already great game show!" @clarissa.simpson chimed in.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The guest, who knew about the artist's popularity, didn't expect to get a five-figure appraisal.
11 hours ago
New tariffs will follow immediately if the court voids current ones.
14 hours ago
Harvey was sure the answer was too weak as he knew women well enough.
16 hours ago
The economist warned that the mounting debt, interest payments could push the U.S. into depression.
1 day ago
As per disclosures, Trump bought $2 million in bonds days before the announcement of a $82.7bn deal.
1 day ago
Harvey jokingly whispered to the contestant how she got it wrong.
1 day ago
While the player claimed he was covering for his family, Harvey wasn't convinced.
1 day ago
About 1.5 million subscribers were affected by the seven-hour-long outage.
4 days ago
The country in Trump's crosshairs accounts for roughly 4% of the global oil production.
4 days ago
Harvey made the joke at the risk of landing in trouble at home.
4 days ago
Harvey simply said "My Man!" as soon as he heard the player's response.
4 days ago
As president Trump pushes for measures to acquire the island, new poll shows Americans aren't sure.
5 days ago
Trump said starting Feb. 1, his administration will block funds, but he didn't provide specifics.
5 days ago
Harvey did not like the opinion about men that he heard from Maria.
5 days ago
Harvey didn't hold back and even went on to name some of the top celebrities.
5 days ago
Senior editor Charles C.W. Cooke said the cap could destroy the GOP's chances in the midterms
6 days ago
The proposed bill aims to tackle healthcare costs, and cut the federal deficit by $1 trillion.
6 days ago
As ACA benefits expire, the president claimed his framework would reduce drug prices dramatically.
6 days ago
Harvey could not believe that the contestant could say that with her family around.
6 days ago
The family aced three Fast Money rounds in a row to cash out big
6 days ago