Unlike many fans of Wheel of Fortune, I actually never watched the show from start to finish until recently. Shocking, I know! The show has been on since 1975 and had 41 seasons but I somehow just never tuned in. During the pandemic, I was spending more time at home just like everyone else and finally could catch the episodes live. I vividly remember asking Will, “What’s that guy’s name again?” Because I could only remember Alex Trebek vs. Pat Sajak 🤣 Sidebar: How immigrant-household coded is that to only know the academic show?! LOL. Of course, I always knew who Vanna White was- my fellow fashionista!
Anyway, I pretty quickly became obsessed with the show’s format. We started recording episodes at night to watch them every morning with breakfast before starting the day. Will and I had been competitively finishing our daily Wordles and Quordles with each other for months at this point. (2020 was really an ERA). Suddenly, I had the epiphany, “Wait. I could try and win some money, too!”
(trying on outfits 2 days before flying out to Los Angeles)
I sent in my audition video sometime in March 2023 and heard back pretty quickly that they wanted to schedule a Zoom interview (this video was filmed on April 5th, 2023). But after 2 rounds of video calls it was CRICKETS. I assumed I must’ve bombed my audition because they never said anything and I decided to let the dream go. I even stopped recording the episodes because I was too sad to watch LOL. Dramatic, I know!
Fast forward to the end of July. Will and I are sitting on the couch watching reality TV as I scroll on my phone. I got an email notification saying I’d been selected to tape in less than 2 weeks in LA! *Insert a lot of high-pitched screaming here!!!* Will and I stared at each other in shock and then began to plan. Since it was filmed on a Wednesday and due to the time difference, 3 days off of work was a no-go for him. I immediately called my parents to see if one of them could fly out with me and was thankful my dad was able to tag along. They had recently announced this was Pat Sajak’s last season, so we squeaked by just in time!
I did a hyper-binge of episodes to try and figure out the best strategies. I read interviews of old winners. And had Will create my own bonus round puzzles to try and solve within 10 seconds. If you didn’t know I had ADHD before, I’m sure this helped it become very clear! Haha. But I was terrified after actually making it to this point that I was going to become the next main character of Twitter. You know those video clips that go viral because a contestant is SO in their head they can’t solve a very obvious answer? I refused to bring shame to my people (which if you’re reading this, you’re my people!). I decided I wouldn’t tell anyone I was going to LA until after I knew how I did. This coincidentally worked out fine because of all of the NDAs you have to sign for filming anyway.
Finally, my dad and I arrived on Tuesday, August 8th at LAX. I steamed all of my outfit choices for the casting producers and got like 4 hours of sleep because I was so nervous lol. The next morning was the day of taping at Sony Studios in LA. I had to be there from 7 AM to 7 PM because I was in the last set of people to tape for the day. We weren’t allowed to bring cameras or phones on set to entertain ourselves because people could potentially cheat. I remember thinking if I had my Kindle right now I’d be set, but alas! So unfortunately we couldn’t capture any memories besides the episode airing!
Wheel of Fortune provided hair and makeup teams to give us touch-ups throughout the time on set and I felt VERY famous- haha. But the coolest moment besides competing was meeting Vanna Freaking White. It was PRE glam session and she looked just as stunning as she was on tv. She came by to wish all of the contestants good luck before we headed to the stage for sound checks. She complimented my blazer and she was just the kindest human being! In between episodes taping she’d chat with the audience and answer questions about the show. She was just so chill!
The whole taping of my particular episode is a blur. They let you practice spinning the wheel and a few puzzles earlier in the day so it’s not as daunting, but wow! It was still mind-boggling to actually be on the set of an iconic American program! I’m proud of going after something (even the most random of goals) and having fun with it. It’s a memory I’ll always have with my dad and definitely a great option to add to Two Truths and a Lie.
If you’ve ever watched a show and thought, “Hey, I could do that!” Just go for it. You’ll never know what could happen! And what’s the downside? It’s easier than you think! Upload a photo and a quick video sharing a little bit about yourself so they can get a feel for your personality. They’ll also ask you to answer a few questions on their website here. The entire process shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes! Hope I’ll see you behind the wheel someday!
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