Wheel of Fortune contestant Lori Girard, from Bismarck, ND, said she “blacked out” on the game show after missing out on a $61,000 win. She is a self-proclaimed Jon Bon Jovi fan.
After winning $21,998 in cash and prizes, including a trip to France, Girard advanced to the Bonus Round. She played against Anthony Canerossi, from Farmingdale, New York, and Adelia Vaca, from West Covina, California, on October 31, 2024. Their episode reaired on July 23 during the game show’s summer reruns.
Girard chose “Phrase” for the Bonus Round and was given “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” She then picked “M,C,D, and A” to round out the puzzle. The puzzle then looked like “AL_A_S _N T_E M_ _E.”
As the clock counted down, Girard only guessed “in the,” but couldn’t come up with a proper response for the whole puzzle. “Always On The Move” was the puzzle. It was tough missing out on an additional $40,000, which would have given her $61,998.
Girard spoke out about her time on Wheel of Fortune to her local news station, KFRY TV. She shared that she has been watching the game show for three decades, and her love for it started when watching it with her parents. Girard’s husband finally encouraged her to apply after she sat in her chair in front of her TV with her cockapoo.
“I like the challenge of the puzzles and trying to solve them kind of before those contestants do to see how quickly can I solve them,” Girard said.
“I’ll be honest. I think I feel like I blacked out,” she told the outlet. The contestant said her time on the show was a “whirlwind.” “Even if, you know, for anybody who does this, and I think all the other contestants I was with that day felt the same way, like, even if you didn’t hit big numbers or big prizes, it was such a great experience.”
She was sad not to meet former host Pat Sajak, but said that Ryan Seacrest is “personable, fun, and charismatic.” She got to meet Vanna White backstage as well.
Aside from the money, Girard made new friends while on the show.
Wheel of Fortune, fall 2025, check local listings
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
