'Wheel of Fortune' Contestant Breaks Record, Earns Nearly $100,000 [WATCH]
A Wheel of Fortune contestant hit it big last week, breaking a record on the long running game show and earning almost $100,000.
Matt DeSanto of Malvern, Pennsylvania solved back-to-back puzzles on the ABC game show on Dec. 26. In addition to solving every other puzzle during the main game, he also solved a preliminary 13-letter puzzle after only seeing one letter on the board, reports US Weekly.
"I don't want to cause trouble at home, but I think there's a connection with you and Vanna," joked the host Pat Sajak.
In total, he earned $91,892 during the main game, making DeSanto the first to have topped $70,000 before heading into the bonus round, which set a new record for the 39-year-old series. It was also the first time that some swept the main game on the show since 2011.
"The wheel definitely worked in my favor," DeSanto told TODAY. "I was extremely fortunate."
However, the father of two ran out of luck by the time he got to the bonus round. DeSanto was unable to get the bonus puzzle, which was "wooden gavel." As a result, he missed out on the $1 million prize.
"I was pretty exhausted [by the bonus round]," recalled DeSanto, who could only guess "gavel" but struggled to figure out the first word. "I should have picked better letters."
He also said he'd been watching the show since he was about 5 years old. However, he did not make much of an effort to prepare to be on the show.
"Maybe some extra crossword puzzles. I tried not to overthink it too much."
Back in September, a Maryland math teacher became the third person in history to win the $1 million prize.
Sarah Manchester, a middle school teacher from Silver Spring, Maryland, chose the million-dollar jackpot before she went on to solve a puzzle in the bonus round.
After correctly guessing that the answer to the puzzle was "Loud Laughter," Sajak opened the envelope and said, "Can you use a million dollars?"
In response, Manchester covered her mouth in shock and let out a scream.
"Oh, I forgot!" she told Sajak, once she realized she won the grand prize.
Watch a clip of Matt DeSanto on the Wheel of Fortune below.
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