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Only four contestants have ever won the $1 million prize on Wheel of Fortune, though one contestant on Wednesday came excruciatingly close to being the fifth.
He not only won a trip to Barbados, but correctly solved all three puzzles in the Triple Toss-Up to win an extra $10K, which comes a week after a hilarious missolve.
Damon was by far the big winner of the night, heading into the bonus round with $29,290 and the $1 million wedge.
He not only had to correctly solve the Bonus Round puzzle, but also pick the $1 million card from the mini-wheel, and unfortunately, he came up short.
Only four contestants have ever won the $1 million prize on Wheel of Fortune, though one contestant on Wednesday came excruciatingly close to being the fifth
Damon Sayles from Plano, Texas successfully landed on the $1 million wedge, which debuted on the show in 2008, and managed to hold on to it the whole match
He not only won a trip to Barbados, but correctly solved all three puzzles in the Triple Toss-Up to win an extra $10K
He not only had to correctly solve the Bonus Round puzzle, but also pick the $1 million card from the mini-wheel, and unfortunately, he came up short
For the final puzzle, Damon was given a choice between Thing, Phrase or What Are You Wearing?
He ultimately chose What Are You Wearing?, which was a two-word puzzle, with the first word featuring nine letters and the second featuring four letters.
Damon was given four letters with the automatic R-S-T-L-N-E letters, with Damon given three more consonants and a vowel, and he made them count.
He picked G, M, W and O as the vowel, which gave him all but two letters, allowing him to correctly solve the puzzle: 'Glamorous Gown.'
While Damon did everything right, luck wasn't on his side, since his mini-wheel spin did not land on the $1 million card, which Seacrest showed him afterwards.
Instead he was given $40K, bringing his total for the evening to $69,290 in both cash and a trip to Barbados.
Damon was mobbed by his family after the big win, as both Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White discussed his performance in the episode's final moments.
'He was so close to the $1 million,' White said, as Seacrest said, 'What a big night for Damon.'
Damon was given four letters with the automatic R-S-T-L-N-E letters, with Damon given three more consonants and a vowel, and he made them count
He picked G, M, W and O as the vowel, which gave him all but two letters, allowing him to correctly solve the puzzle: 'Glamorous Gown.'
While Damon did everything right, luck wasn't on his side, since his mini-wheel spin did not land on the $1 million card
Instead he was given $40K, bringing his total for the evening to $69,290 in both cash and a trip to Barbados
Damon was mobbed by his family after the big win, as both Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White discussed his performance in the episode's final moments
He added that when he kept hearing the puzzle board 'ding' with more letters, he said, 'I thought my hands were beginning to sweat.'
'He was so close with that great solve. But I feel it. It's going to happen. And soon,' Seacrest proclaimed as the episode came to an end.
There have only been three regular contestants to win the $1 million, but the last to win it was actress Melissa Joan Hart on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
The $1 million went to the charity Hart was playing for, Youth Villages in the in October 2021 episode.
The first regular contestant winner was Michelle Loewenstein in October 2008, followed by Autumn Erhard in May 2013 and Sarah Manchester in September 2014.
