Additional Coverage:
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant’s daughter sheds tears of joy after $40,000 win — makes fans emotional (marketrealist.com)
“Fixing a Glitch” Leads to Tears of Joy and a $40,000 Win on Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune delivered a heartwarming moment recently as contestant Dedric not only broke a frustrating bonus round losing streak but also brought his 10-year-old daughter, Ashton, to tears of joy with a massive $40,000 win. The emotional father-daughter connection resonated deeply with viewers, who flooded social media with admiration for the touching scene.
Dedric proved to be a formidable player from the get-go. He swiftly solved the Second Toss-Up, “Seen a Ghost,” adding $2,000 to his rapidly growing bank.
His winning streak continued in the Prize Puzzle – Phrase round, where his correct guess of “The Ultimate in Tranquility” secured him a luxurious trip to Patagonia valued at $16,390. Not stopping there, Dedric dominated the Triple Toss-Up round twice, accumulating an additional $4,000 and bringing his total winnings to an impressive $20,740 before heading into the Bonus Round.
Before his pivotal spin, Dedric introduced his family to host Ryan Seacrest: “I have my lovely wife, Janelle, and my ten-year-old daughter, Ashton.” For the Bonus Round, he selected the category “What are you doing?”
With the standard R, S, T, L, N, E already on the board, Dedric chose G, D, C, and the vowel A. The puzzle then partially revealed itself as ” _, _, _, _, N, G, A, G, L, _, T, C, _.”
With remarkable speed, Dedric deciphered the puzzle, confidently stating, “Fixing a glitch,” within the allotted ten seconds. This brilliant solve added a whopping $40,000 to his prize money, bringing his grand total to $64,740.
“Put a big bow on all this cash. $40,000,” exclaimed Seacrest as Dedric celebrated with a happy dance. As Dedric’s wife and daughter joined him on stage, Seacrest asked, “What does it feel like in this moment?”
“Oh, man, I don’t know. I’m still processing, but, man, this has been great,” Dedric replied, his voice thick with emotion.
The camera then captured Ashton, visibly overwhelmed and shedding happy tears for her father’s success. Fans watching at home were equally moved by the genuine display of affection.
Comments poured in, with one user, @sy-kd6km, stating, “It was wonderful. The tears of your daughter were lovely,” and @loveforeignaccents chiming in, “So happy for him!!
And his daughter getting emotional was so sweet, too!”
Other viewers applauded Dedric’s quick thinking, with @tima.curtis2488 remarking, “That was a good solve. At the same time I was trying to figure out the puzzle he nearly solved it instantly.”
A sharp-eyed fan, @sammylerman7136, even noted a past instance of the same puzzle: “Same puzzle on Nov 23, 2018, and solved for $36K.” The overall sentiment was celebratory, with @annettecarlin4800 exclaiming, “We have a big winner Happy Holidays.”
This memorable episode served as a powerful reminder of the joy and emotional connections that can unfold on America’s favorite game show.