Ryan Seacrest was left startled when an overly excited Wheel of Fortune contestant grabbed him during an episode of the popular game show.
Ricky Brown, a contestant from Easton, Pennsylvania, enthusiastically jumped up and down in celebration after solving a particularly tricky puzzle during the Wednesday, January 15 episode of Wheel. In the midst of the animated celebrations, the musician grabbed onto host Seacrest, 50, who looked visually surprised to be caught up in the moment.
Brown had just guessed correctly the puzzle in the “Phrase” category. The three-word phrase, “As you wish” was a tough one, with the letters chosen leaving Brown to guess from a puzzle that read, “AS / _ _ _ / _ _ S _.”
Despite the difficulty, Brown guessed correctly when the 10-second timer started, shouting, “As you wish!”
“Yes! You got it! How did you do that?” a shocked Seacreast responded before Brown jumped up and down and embraced him in the awkward hug.
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“Hold on, you bent the card,” Seacrest joked as he referenced the prize envelope he was holding, before revealing that Brown had won an extra $40,000. The extra money meant Brown won a total of $64,000 plus a cruise after correctly guessing the phrase.
Earlier in the show, Brown started strong in Round 1, winning $2950 from the get-go. While he suffered a small setback when answered a question incorrectly in the Mystery Round (he answered “Tanzania and New Zealand” instead of the correct answer of “Tasmania and New Zealand”), Brown quickly bounced back.
The contestant solved a puzzle in the Express Round and won a cruise and nailed two out of three puzzles in the Triple Toss Up round.
Brown became a fan favorite during the episode due to his entertaining antics, including writing a song about being on the game show.
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Encouraged by Seacrest, Brown performed the custom rap as he stood behind the show’s famous wheel alongside fellow competitors Karen Morgan from Clinton, Maryland, and Lisa McDaniel from Norman, Oklahoma.
“Wheel of Fortune is the place to be. Back home, I watched it on ABC. A smile on my face, I’m having a lot of fun. My wife is here, but I’m missing my son,” he rapped. “Who knows? I might win a trip across Rome. And to all my family and friends back home… The feeling I’m having right now is the best, I’m chilling with Vanna [White] and Ryan Seacrest.”
