Pinch him, he’s (not) dreaming.
A “Wheel of Fortune” contestant had a strange request for Ryan Seacrest after he won a grand total of nearly $75,000 on Monday’s episode of the game show.
P.J. Wilder was dramatic throughout the whole game, including during the penultimate question when he correctly solved the $18,000 puzzle “Sand in my swimsuit.”
When the show confirmed his answer was right, Wilder screamed, “Let’s f—ing go!”, and channeled The Hulk as he pretended to rip his shirt off.
Wilder also tried to hug Seacrest, 50, but the host instead grabbed Wilder by his mustache.
“Oh, okay, yeah,” Wilder said.
Wilder made it to the bonus round where the possible prizes included $100,000, $75,000, and a car. He had to solve “_ _ _ – _ _ _ _ _ _ _E” with the clue “What Are You Wearing?”
After locking in multiple letters, all the while having fun banter with Seacrest and Vanna White, Wilder correctly guessed “Zip-up hoodie” as the answer to the puzzle.
“How is this happening?” Wilder said to Seacrest as he celebrated his big win.
“Please pinch me! Pinch me!” Wilder told Seacrest, who did just that on Wilder’s shoulder, prompting the contestant to yell, “Hey!”
The “American Idol” host then revealed that Wilder won a car, sending Wilder into another fit of excitement as he shouted, “No way! Get out of here!”
With his $41,200 yellow Mini Cooper convertible, Wilder’s total winnings from the game came out to $74,860.
Wilder hopped in the passenger seat of his new car, honked the horn and high-fived his wife Katie, whom he introduced to White, 68.
“You’re a legend,” he told the show’s letter-turner.
During the game, Seacrest asked Wilder’s wife, “What’s he really like off camera?”
“Just like this,” Katie said with a laugh.
Seacrest replied: “I’m not surprised.”
The TV icon took over Pat Sajak’s “WoF” hosting duties in September. Sajak, 78, officially retired from the series after 41 seasons in June 2024.
“I love giving away the money,” Seacrest told Fox News in December. “I get so excited when people win the money, and they win a lot of money. I’m hoping to give away a million dollars in 2025.”
White said last year she was “very scared” about Seacrest joining the show, adding, “I had no idea what to expect, when I’m used to one person for so long.”
However, the blonde beauty noted that Seacrest is “doing a great job” as host and said they grew closer as friends once they started working together.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
