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' player gives fans a 'heart attack' before winning $100,000 with seconds to spare

The player brought his parents on the stage and that made things even more emotionally charged.
PUBLISHED FEB 16, 2025
Screenshot showing the winning moment (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the winning moment (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

'Wheel of Fortune' has evolved into a game show where fans connect with contestants and share the joy of their wins as much as the disappointment of their loss. The game can sometimes be cruel, especially in the Bonus Round where contestants have only ten seconds to solve a puzzle with big prizes on the line. Recently, a contestant named Brent gave viewers a heart attack by nearly missing out on a $100,000 prize. 

Screenshot showing Brent alongside Ryan Seacrest
Screenshot showing Brent alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

In the episode, Brent, a career BBQ chef from Pocahontas, Arkansas, excelled in the initial rounds of the show to gain a lead on his fellow contestants. By the end of the games, Brent had collected an impressive $20,700 in prize money and a trip to St. Lucia. With this, he proceeded to the show's coveted Bonus Round where he had a chance of winning the top prize of $100,000. To make things more emotionally charged, Brent brought his parents to the stage to cheer him on for the final puzzle. After spinning the wheel, host Ryan Seacrest picked out the golden envelope from the 'A' spot.

Screenshot showing Brent spinning the wheel
Screenshot showing Brent spinning the wheel (Image source: YouTube | Wheel Of Fortune)

For his final puzzle, the contestant selected the “Food and Drink,” category and got a three-word puzzle on the board. With the standard letters "R, S, T, L, N, and E" filled in, the player went on to choose the additional letters of “G, C, P, and O.” It turns out the letter choices of the player were excellent, as the bonus round puzzle read, “_OT    _ _ _ GE    TOPP_NG’.  Even Seacrest remarked that it was looking all good for the player.  

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

However, when the ten-second timer started ticking, Brent appeared to be absolutely stumped. While he got the first two words "HOT" and "TOPPING" right, he was blank when it came to the final word. After guessing "HOT LARGE TOPPING" Brent took a brief pause escalating the tension. With nearly just a second to spare, the player guessed "HOT FUDGE TOPPING" which turned out to be correct. As the player celebrated, Seacrest opened the golden envelope, and it was revealed that Brent had won the top prize of $100,000 by a thin margin.

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

An explosion of confetti ensued with Brent hugging his parents and the co-host Vanna White joining in the celebrations. “You did it!” Seacrest exclaimed, as the grand prize total of $120,704, appeared on the screen.



 

While everything turned out well in the end for the player, viewers had a hard time watching the bonus round. Talking about the emotional rollercoaster, they went through, one fan @anniegao9105 wrote, "What a great way to start off this week and it literally gave me a heart attack!"

Screenshot of a comment expressing the emotions (Image source: YouTube/@MichaelThomashefsky)
Screenshot of a comment expressing the emotions (Image source: YouTube/@MichaelThomashefsky)

"The pressure to solve this - well done!" @sushifornico added. Several others echoed the sentiment as well. "I AM SO GLAD HE GOT IT IN TIME! I SOLVED IT MYSELF! AND IT WAS SO CLOSE TOO! I would have been so disappointed if he lost," @06MAN said. "I was just yelling FUDGE," @TheJohnny928 mentioned.

Screenshot of a comment celebrating the win (Image source: YouTube/@AK-oo5cj)
Screenshot of a comment celebrating the win (Image source: YouTube/@AK-oo5cj)
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Fans took to Reddit to discuss if the show has gotten a little too social for its style.
12 hours ago
When the Holy Grail toy came up to Harrison's table, he wasn't willing to let it go.
13 hours ago
The founder of 'Noshi Food Paint' was down to the last shark for a deal.
1 day ago
Ashia who won $25,000 executed an epic celebration after her win in the "To The Penny" game.
1 day ago
Harrison was offering more than he usually does but the seller was also adamant.
1 day ago
It turned out that the gift came from one of the greatest American sculptors in history.
1 day ago
The guest who got the collection at an auction was shocked to find out its true value.
2 days ago
The guest who paid $15 for the storage cabinet was pleasantly surprised in the end.
3 days ago
The men of Shark Tank looked as dashing as ever in their red wigs from 'How to be a Redhead'.
3 days ago
It was a dream come true for many in the Pawn Shop to see the great WWE wrestler.
3 days ago
This was a rare occasion on which contestants made Harvey nervous on his show.
3 days ago
Fans are now getting concerned as the "accident-prone" host can't seem to find his balance.
4 days ago
Greiner put her foot down to get a deal with "Simply Fit Board" and it all worked out in the end.
4 days ago
Turns out Steve Harvey is quite sensitive about some of his facial features.
4 days ago
The TikTok creator exposed the political links of suppliers and manufacturers of these products.
5 days ago
The contestant nearly had a perfect game, but she missed out on one correct guess.
5 days ago
The guest later mentioned that her father would be surprised and joked that she might send it back to him.
6 days ago
The guest who was looking for $300 changed his mind after the artifact got a big appraisal.
6 days ago
The show's expert turned out to be off by miles as the item was much more significant than he knew.
6 days ago
Turns out the pages weren't out of any common edition of the Bible but an important one.
6 days ago