Dates

It’s Wheel of Fortune, America’s Game and we’re posting the Bonus Puzzle with the winner’s final prize amount. By way of comparison, the Jeopardy! payoff is also included with a link to the recap of that game.

An East Lansing resident won $11,850 on “Wheel of Fortune” in a “Girlfriend Getaways” episode, which aired Feb. Dorian Prier, 35, participated in the game show with her friend Ovidia. Since becoming friends four years ago, Emily Newton and Pauline Filippou have had weekly girls' nights where they watch 'Wheel of Fortune.' Now, the two are appearing on the show this week as part.

Theme: Surfin’ Safari

Mon 4-20-20 $15,824
On Jeopardy: $3,599
Kamika only got one I from the letter she selected. She just went
_ _ W N _ H E _ R _ N _ R _ A _
on this one, seemingly convinced that the last word was “life.” Somehow, it just didn’t register that an L was already showing in the first word. Not that it was easy otherwise! Kamika lost out on an extra $37,000.

Wheel2020

Tue 4-21-20 $22,980
On Jeopardy: $22,801
Aurora only got one O, just like Kamika only got her vowel yesterday. I’m not too sure Aurora would have solved that even if she had been able to
_ _ C I P _ _ R T _ _ _ A _ T _ O R _.
She was just so nervous! That was another $37,000 the show didn’t have to shell out.

Wed 4-22-20 $69,603
On Jeopardy: $19,601
Marci had a shot at the $1,000,000 prize. She also had a Wild Card and put two D’s in the puzzle with it. That bit of luck helped her to solve the puzzle
W _ _ H _ _ M E _ O _ P A _ E.
Marci won an additional $37,000 on top of the $32,603 from the main game.

Thu 4-23-20 $56,620
On Jeopardy: $20,200
Arzo added one P, one M and three O’s to the bonus puzzle. She would have had
_ F _ I _ L _ _ E _ E N _ _ H _ N _ E
with just the consonants she chose, but picking that O made it a slam dunk. Arzo scooped up $37,000 to add to the $19,620 she won in the main game.

Fri 4-24-20 $82,050
On Jeopardy: $31,000
Michael got two C’s, 1 G and 4 O’s from his letters and solving this one was child’s play. In addition to making excellent letter choices, he had the good fortune to
_ I _ K A T E _ _ I F I _ _ A _ D
from the bonus wheel and capped off his $32,050 winnings with an extra $50,000.

BONUS PUZZLE SOLUTIONS: show

COMMENT PUZZLE SOLUTIONS: show

From left: Laura Oliver, of Nobleboro, and best friend Beth Day, of Pittsfield, on the set of the long-running game show “Wheel of Fortune.” (Photo courtesy Laura Oliver)

A Nobleboro woman and her best friend flew to Los Angeles in January to compete on “Wheel of Fortune” during the long-running game show’s “Girlfriend Getaways” week. The episode will air on Channel 8, WMTW, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19.

Laura Oliver, of Nobleboro, and her best friend, Beth Day, of Pittsfield, met in fifth grade and attended Medomak Valley High School together.

“We met playing pee wee basketball in Waldoboro and have been friends ever since,” Oliver said.

“I walked into a gym and a girl asked if I wanted to pass the ball around and that girl ended up being Laura,” Day said. In addition to basketball, they played soccer and softball together.

Oliver and Day could not reveal the results of the show, but are excited to watch the episode with family and friends.

Oliver started watching “America’s Game” with her grandparents and her family watches it now. She was thrilled to meet hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White.

“My kids love it. There are not a lot of shows on right now the whole family likes, but ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is one we like watching together,” Oliver said.

Day has watched the show since childhood too. “I remember growing up, you had supper and after, ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ came on,” she said.

Oliver described their experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It was really fun, such a great time. Everybody on set was so awesome when we were there,” Oliver said.

Oliver credited the team at “Wheel of Fortune” with calming contestants’ nerves and creating a positive environment that made the trip one she and Day will never forget.

“Meeting Pat and Vanna was great. They were both so nice and the producer put you at ease too,” Oliver said.

Oliver said being with her best friend made the experience more manageable.

“She was awesome. She helped me feel more relaxed and it was nice to have a friend next to me. Before the show we practiced a lot, taking turns spinning and calling out letters,” Oliver said.

“It was so much more fun to be able to go out there with a friend,” Day said.

The friends were in Southern California from Jan. 8-11, with filming of the show taking place Jan. 10. They visited Santa Monica Pier and other tourist sites, including the Hollywood sign.

Oliver said it was 68 degrees and sunny during their time in Los Angeles, a nice respite from January in Maine, although some locals were bundled up and the “Wheel of Fortune” staff apologized for the “cooler” weather.

She and Day landed the spot on “Wheel of Fortune” after Day sent in an audition video taken at West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec.

Oliver said there had been a mobile audition when The Wheelmobile visited the Bangor area, but since Day couldn’t attend, she sent in her video instead and was told she could bring a friend to a subsequent audition.

The friends traveled to Bar Harbor in September 2019 for an audition, where they were told they had been selected and should stand by to pack their bags for a trip to Los Angeles.

“We took part in mock rounds and after were told we could be contacted in a week or up to a couple years,” Oliver said.

Oliver said a challenge of being on the show was how different the environment was on set to watching the show at home.

“It was a challenge, focusing on everything we had to do. When you are at home on the couch, it’s easy to play the game,” she said.

Day agreed. “On the TV show, there are a lot more things to worry about than when you are on your couch at home,” she said.

“Wheel of Fortune” contestant Laura Oliver, of Nobleboro, with her daughters, Adelaide, 9, and Eve, 5. (Alexander Violo photo)

Oliver is originally from Friendship. Today, she lives in Nobleboro with her husband, Jacob, and their two children, Adelaide, 9, and Eve, 5.

Girlfriend Getaways Wheel Of Fortune

She homeschools the children. When they are not in class, they enjoy reading and spending time outside, at the beach or kayaking, during the summer.

Oliver said one of the hardest parts of the “Wheel of Fortune” experience was keeping quiet about their appearance until the show released press photos from the upcoming episode.

“We had to keep everything hush-hush for a while,” she said.

Day, originally from Waldoboro, said she was happy to be able to share the experience with Oliver.

2020Wheel of fortune girlfriend getaways 2020 list

“It was pretty surreal. I thought it would be a pretty fun thing to do. If I was going to share it with anyone, I’m glad I got to share it with Laura,” Day said.

Wheel Of Fortune Girlfriend Getaways 2020 Results

“Wheel of Fortune” started airing in 1975. Contestants uncover hidden phrases by guessing one letter at a time, winning money or prizes as determined by a spin of the wheel.

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