‘It’s so surreal’: Myrtle Beach man wins thousands on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Myrtle Beach resident Brett Smith was calm, cool and collected when he stepped on the “Wheel of Fortune” stage in March to appear on the popular game show.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Smith told The Sun News. “It was like I was just playing the game, and nobody was around me.”

Smith’s confidence and skill in the game came in handy when he battled two other contestants to solve the hangman-style puzzles on Thursday night’s episode of Wheel of Fortune. Appearing during “Big Money” week leading up to the show’s celebratory 7,000th episode, Smith walked away with a cash total of $24,650.

“I won every round but one and then the bonus round was really hard,” said Smith, a horticultural technician for a lawn service provider. “It was just crazy. When you go out on that stage for the first time it’s so surreal.”

After decades of loyal viewing, Smith, a newlywed and father of five, began his journey to become a contestant on America’s Game when he participated in a Wheelmobile event last November at RipTydz.

The Wheelmobile travels across the county each year searching for new players and giving loyal fans an opportunity to feel like a contestant with a simulation of the game in their hometown.

“Right toward the end of the first round me and my wife were almost going to leave but stayed for a second round,” Smith said. “About 30 minutes later, I was getting tired and wanted to leave, but my wife heard them call my name. I almost didn’t go up there because I didn’t hear it.”

With lady luck at his side, Smith played a simulation of the game against six other people and took home some prizes. While Smith was happy with what he won that day, he received an email three weeks later from Wheel of Fortune requesting a formal audition.

During his four-hour audition at a hotel in downtown Myrtle Beach, Smith felt his chances of being on the show were high after making it through several rounds of games. Following the audition, Smith was told he might receive a letter in the mail with an invitation to appear on the game show.

“About two weeks came and went and then I got the letter,” Smith said. “I already had a feeling I would get on the show and sure enough I got chosen.”

Smith was told he would be on the show anywhere between two weeks from the invitation’s arrival to 18 months, but he got the call immediately and flew out to Los Angeles with his wife for the taping two weeks later.

While Smith’s nerves didn’t get the best of him during the game, he was nervous the night before explaining he practiced driving to the studio lot the night before to ensure he would arrive on time. However, once the cameras started rolling, Smith’s fear of covering his travel expenses to fly across country went away when he had totaled $14,000 within minutes.

“I felt good,” he said. “It was just great.”

Smith may have walked away from the show triumphant, even bumping into Steve Carell and Michael Douglas on the studio lot, but he couldn’t celebrate his impressive win with family and friends until the show aired Thursday night. Smith said his winnings were at risk if he spoke publicly about his experience.

“I was so glad when I could finally talk about it,” Smith said. “It was awesome, and I had a great time. It went better than I ever could have imagined.”