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' player picks up Ryan Seacrest while hugging him despite losing out on $40,000

The self-confessed hugger, had to hug it out after painfully losing out on $40,000.
PUBLISHED MAR 19, 2025
Screenshot showing the contestant hugging Ryan Seacrest on the show (Cover image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the contestant hugging Ryan Seacrest on the show (Cover image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

It's natural for people to get too excited after a win on game shows such as "Wheel of Fortune" and go overboard in celebrations. But someone getting excited after a loss and doing something over-the-top is unheard of. It happened when a self-confessed hugger lost out on prizes and got a hug from Ryan Seacrest, who he proceeded to lift up out of enthusiasm.

Screenshot showing Ryan Friskey hugging the host (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Ryan Friskey hugging the host (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

In the episode, Bill Friskey, from Merkel, Texas, went up against two players to fulfill his dream of spinning the Wheel. The self-proclaimed outdoors lover shared that he loved going camping with his wife. Seacrest also gave Friskey a camping food tip and asked him to carry Sardines. “They’re so easy. Peel back and eat them with a fork right out of the container,” Seacrest said. However, the player told him that he didn't like the fish but he would take the host for his word. “You’re not going to try it, are you?” Seacrest joked about moving on, as per TV Insider. 

Steele started with a flyer in the first toss-up round and solved a few puzzles back to back. However,  he landed on the “Bankrupt” wedge halfway through. He made a comeback by solving the Mystery Round and earned the lead with $4,550.

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

The Prize Round brought another bankruptcy for Friskey, but he ended up solving the puzzle to win another $1,200 and a trip to the Alpines. In the Triple Toss-up round, Friskey fought back and won $4,000 to become the night's big winner with  $15,249, in total. Going into the Bonus Round, he picked the category “What are you doing?” Friskey brought his wife, Tracy, with him, and Seacrest asked her about their camping trips and the food they ate. She told the host that they “eat everything” including which steaks they cook on the barbeque. “Maybe we’ll add some sardines into it," Friskey said mocking the host.“Now he’s making fun of me!” Seacrest said looking at the camera. 

Screenshot showing the player joking with the host (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the player joking with the host (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

Going ahead, Firskey was faced with a three-word puzzle. With the standard letters, “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” filled in, he chose  “C, M, D, and O," as his additional letters for the puzzle. With this, the bonus puzzle on the board read, “_ _ _ _ _ N_     _T    O_T.” Friskey didn't look confident as he was missing quite a few letters on the board. When the ten-second timer kicked off, the player tried his best to guess the activity. While he got the last two words, “It Out,” right, he was scrambling for the first word. After the time ran out, the answer was revealed to be "HUGGING IT OUT". “Aww. And I’m a hugger!” the contestant groaned as he read the answer. 

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

Seacrest went on to add context by saying, “The irony was during the commercial break, he said ‘Can I give you a hug?". The host then asked Friskey to give him a big hug. 



 

In the end, the player got to squeeze the host and walk home with $15,249 and a trip.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The contestant, Christina Derevjanik became the biggest winner ever in the show's history.
13 hours ago
The guest reduced his asking price by $40,000 and it still wasn't enough to convince Harrison.
14 hours ago
The contestant had her mother and sister with her, both of whom were also emotional.
15 hours ago
Fans made their opinions clear under an Instagram reel posted by the show's official handle.
16 hours ago
The contestant said she worked in hair loss prevention, which Harvey clearly knows nothing about.
1 day ago
The guest who impulsively picked up the LeRoy Neiman painting had no idea of its significance.
1 day ago
It was a heartwarming moment on the show, and even Steve Harvey had a big smile on his face.
1 day ago
The contestant, Talia MacLean could barely hold her emotions after playing a perfect game.
1 day ago
The guest wanted a six-figure sum for all three rings but Harrison did not even offer half of that.
1 day ago
The contestant played a fantastic game despite falling behind in the early going.
1 day ago
Herjavec was the only one who believed that he could make the business go big.
2 days ago
Steve Harvey had never heard of the team the contestant and sadi, and his reaction was priceless.
2 days ago
The contestant made the unusual choice because of a deal she had with a loved one.
3 days ago
The guest had received it from a cousin, who had bought it in Paris during World War II.
3 days ago
It was a fantastic solve for the contestant as the puzzle did not look easy.
3 days ago
Not only was the signature authentic, but also rare, as it was a full autograph on a personal document.
3 days ago
The guest wanted a lot less for the items and was happy to get a some extra cash.
4 days ago
Steve Harvey asked the contestant, Andrea, to demonstrate her answer, and that's exactly what she did.
4 days ago
The co-host revealed one of her hidden talents and fans were left impressed.
4 days ago
The entrepreneur might not have hoped to get so much money but he wasn't going to say no.
4 days ago