A Wheel of Fortune contestant left host Ryan Seacrest amazed after winning $59,000 during the Bonus Round puzzle. The teacher said the phrase “popped into her head” after no additional letters were given.
Donna Hall Nanney, from Memphis, Tennessee, played against Ursula Dystiie, from Agoura Hills, California, and Andrew Smith, from Parsippany, New Jersey, on Wednesday, September 18.
Hall Nanny, an eighth-grade gifted English teacher, solved both Toss Ups, putting $3,000 in her bank. However, Smith, an eighth-grade History teacher, took the lead with $5,550 after solving “Reading, Rhyming, and Recess.”
Hall Nanney almost caught up to Smith when she solved “Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing” for $4,200. Dystiie, a kindergarten teacher, solved the Prize Puzzle — “Souvenir Collector” — and won a trip to Portugal. Just like that, she took the lead with $11,410.
Hall Nanney took the lead back by solving all three of the Triple Toss Ups with $14,200. Smith solved the final puzzle — “Floppy Disc” — and left with $11,100. Dystiie remained at $11,410. Hall Nanney was the night’s big winner with $14,200.
For the Bonus Round, she picked “Phrase.” The game show contestant brought her daughter, Allison, with her, who said she was “killing it.” Hall Nanney was given “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” She picked “F, H, M, and A” as her additional letters.
Unfortunately, none of the letters she picked were in the puzzle, so Hall Nanney had to work with what she was given by Wheel of Fortune. Her puzzle then looked like “_ _R_S T_ L_ _E _ _.”
The clock counted down, and she said, “It just popped in my head. Words To Live By.”
“You got it!” Ryan Seacrest said. “What just happened?!”
“I don’t know,” Hall Nanney chuckled. “It literally just popped in my head.”
She added $45,000 to her total, giving her $59,200. “Absolutely amazing solve!!! So glad it popped into this lovely lady’s head,” a YouTube user said.
“Unbelievable!! Wow!! That’s impressive, way to go Donna!!” another commented.
“What an impressive solve!” added a third.
“She got it without additional help with extra letters is amazing! Surprised that I got it too for whipping the $45,000 cash!” wrote another.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock