‘It was super fun’: Little River woman wins thousands on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
While Little River resident Gina Johnson has spent many nights watching Wheel of Fortune, appearing on the popular TV game show was more nerve-wracking than she could have ever imagined.
“I was so nervous,” said Johnson, a bartender at The Pilot House in Little River. “It’s so much different than being at home, sitting on your couch and knowing everything. I was three months pregnant, so my nerves were super shocked.”
Despite her nerves, Johnson applied her knowledge and thrill for the game when she battled two other contestants to solve the hangman-style puzzles on Wednesday night’s episode of Wheel of Fortune, where she walked away with $10,950.
Johnson, who either watches Wheel of Fortune with her husband or at work, began her journey to become a contestant on America’s Game when she participated in a Wheelmobile event last November at RipTydz.
The Wheelmobile travels across the country 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.
Following the event, Johnson was asked to audition to become a potential contestant on the show. After several call-backs, she found out in July that she had made it, and on July 25, she and her husband, RJ, were in Los Angeles ready to play her favorite game.
“It was super fun,” Johnson said. “If I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat, and maybe my nerves wouldn’t be as crazy.”
With a baby on the way, Johnson said her winnings will go toward setting up a college fun.
With her family, friends and co-workers aware of her love of Wheel of Fortune, The Pilot House hosted a watch party Wednesday night to cheer her on. While she was nervous about people feeling let down with her performance, she said everyone was thrilled to see her path to victory.
Additionally, her phone kept going off with messages of support and excitement as the episode aired, she said.
“I was pacing back and forth; I had been so excited about the episode and a little bit nervous because I didn’t want to let anyone down,” Johnson said. “But it all turned out good in the end.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 1:42 PM.
