‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Big After ‘American Idol’ Confession to Ryan Seacrest
A Wheel of Fortune contestant celebrated her mother's birthday in style on Tuesday's (November 5) episode as she conquered the Bonus Round puzzle for a huge $40,000.
The contestant in question was Janine Crum, an art teacher and owner of a local artist studio from Westerville, Ohio, who revealed to host Ryan Seacrest she almost auditioned for American Idol but chickened out. Crum was up against Josh Crowell from Dubuque, Iowa, and DeShannon March from Huntsville, Alabama.
Tuesday's game started off on even footing, with the scores practically level after the first round — Crowell held a slight lead with $3,250, followed by March with $3,100, and Crum trailing with $3,000. However, things changed dramatically in the Express Round.
Crum had control of the wheel for the majority of the round, allowing her to fill out the three-word puzzle ("Cherry Blossom Season") and solve for $5,950 and a trip to Japan worth $13,498. By the end of the round, Crum led the way with $22,448 cash.
From there, Crum continued to dominate, ending the episode on a massive $31,948 over Crowell's $5,250 and March's $5,100. With that, she moved on to the Bonus Round, where she selected the dreaded "Phrase" category.
Before taking on the puzzle, Crum introduced her mom, Barb, who she'd brought along for support. "Tonight is her birthday," Crum told Seacrest.
"I can read Barb's body language; she would love to go to Japan with you," Seacrest quipped.
After selecting the additional letters "C, D, M, and O," Crum was left with a puzzle board that read: "_ _ _ C _ / _ _ E S T _ O N / _ O R / _ O _."
Crum wasted no time in answering, "Quick Question For You," which was correct. Seacrest then opened the prize envelope to reveal she'd added an extra $40,000 to her winnings, giving her a grand total of $71,948 cash and a trip to Japan.
A teary-eyed Barb ran over to celebrate with her daughter for what turned out to be a very happy birthday.
Crum, who is married and has four children, opened up about her experience on the show in an interview with The Westerville News.
"When I finally made it to the stage, any sense of nervousness evaporated, and I was running on joy and adrenaline!" she said. "The lights, the sounds, the set—all of it was more exciting than I could even begin to express. Being there was an absolute dream!"
