‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Ryan Seacrest & Big Winner Bond Over Shared Horrific Injuries

At this point in his career, Ryan Seacrest is an expert host. He’s hosted American Idol for over 20 years. He took over as host of Wheel of Fortune when Pat Sajak retired. He shared an unlikely bond with a big winner over their shared horrifying injuries. Keep reading to find out what happened.

A recent episode of the popular game show saw Autumn Martin, from Charlestown, West Virginia, Gina Rosales, from San Francisco, California, and Jordan Mayer, from Wauconda, Illinois, go head-to-head. Autumn Martin solved two of the Fortune Frenzies rapid puzzles for $2,000. Gina Rosales solved the other one.

Autumn Martin added $5,350 to her lead by guessing “Tom Holland & Zendaya” on the first puzzle. However, Gina Rosales took control after solving the next puzzle. But her lead was short-lived. Autumn Martin regained the lead by winning $17,900 and a trip to Thailand in the next round.

She headed into the Bonus Round with $26,850 total. Gina Rosales walked away with $7,650. The third contestant, Jordan Mayer, didn’t win any money but the show sent him home with a $1,000 condolence prize.

As viewers know, Ryan Seacrest likes to chat with the contestants before they get to the Bonus Round. He noticed that Autumn Martin had a boot on her foot. She revealed that she tore her Achilles while playing in an adult kickball league. The host could relate to her injury. “I’m limping with you. I don’t know why, because I’m sore and old,” he quipped when they walked toward the Bonus Round puzzle.

Autumn Martin chose “What Are You Doing?” for the Bonus Round category. She easily solved the puzzle after adding ‘B, M, C, and A” to the “R, S, T, L, N, and E” the show gave her. “BEAM_N_” was what she had to work with. The answer was “BEAMING,” which she correctly guessed. She added $40,000 to her winnings, making her grand total $66,850. “That’s going to heal faster now,” Ryan Seacrest joked, pointing to her foot.

Wheel of Fortune returned with a new season in early September after a summer break. Now, fans of the show can watch the game show in primetime, too. Season 7 of the Celebrity version kicks off on Friday, October 2, on ABC.

The entire list of celebrity contestants for the season hasn’t been revealed yet. However, actress Gillian Jacobs, singer Omarion, and television personality Matt Iseman face off on the season premiere.