On Tuesday, April 16, Spokane, Washington's Julie Allen faced up against Nikki Lopez of Melbourne, Florida, and Thomas Young from Detroit, Michigan. Allen, who teaches third grade at Meadow Ridge Elementary School, claimed that watching Wheel of Fortune every night helped her get through her maternity leave.
Early Rounds: Toss-Ups and Setbacks
Young won $2,000 after solving the first two toss-ups, making him the first member of his family to appear on any game show. But after solving two letters in the first puzzle, he ended up on Bankrupt, thus his luck ran out. He eventually regained the turn despite his misfortune, and he was able to finish the puzzle for $8,600.
Young and Allen both chose Insolvent for their winnings in the puzzle, so Lopez, a bachelor who works as a landscaper for fish, was the last to win some money. She completed most of the crossword before she also became bankrupt.
Allen Takes the Lead with Safari Win
Allen was given the task of solving "Lions, Leopards, and Hippos" when Young landed on "Lose a Turn”. She took the lead after winning an African safari, which increased her total to $17,890.
She put $4,000 in her bank account after solving two of the three Triple Toss-Ups. Young added $2,000 to solve one. Allen put $1,700 in her bank account after solving the last riddle, "I Appreciate You." She took home $23,590 for winning the game. Lopez took $1,000 home. Young took $10,600 with him.
Bonus Round Victory and Grand Prize Reveal
Allen invited her friend Amy along for the Bonus Round because her significant other was at home taking care of their one-year-old kid. She stood "&" on the wheel after selecting the category "What are you doing?"She selected "G,D,H, and I" after Wheel gave her "R,S,T,L,N, and E." At that point, her riddle appeared as "_EING _ _ ITE _ITT_." She said, "Being Quite Witty," which was accurate, just before host Ryan Seacrest informed her that she had ten seconds to figure it out. Hardly a second had passed on the timer.
"You got it!" With a smile on his face, Seacrest presented her the envelope bearing the word "Ford." Allen embraced the host and threw her hands on her head. After giving her best friend a hug, they both leaped to their feet and walked to the car. The vehicle had a $43,760 value. She ended up with a total of $67,350.
