'Wheel of Fortune' Contestant Wins Show's Largest-Ever Prize
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One lucky Wheel of Fortune contestant just won the largest prize in the show’s history.
Christina Derevjanik, of Stamford, CT, took home a whopping $1,035,155 in cash on Tuesday night’s show. Derevjanik laid the groundwork for her sweep early in the show when she secured the coveted “One Million Dollars” wedge. She then went on to win $33,155 in cash as well as trips to Montana and Japan before moving on to the show’s bonus round.
At the beginning of the bonus round, Derevjanik joked that if she won the million dollar prize she’d immediately resign from her job. Host Ryan Seacrest advised her against such remarks, reminding her that her boss was in the audience. Derevjanik picked the category “Living Things” and went on the solve the puzzle, the answer to which was “pack of coyotes.” After her answer, Seacrest held a $1 million envelope aloft.
“You won a million dollars,” the host told Derevjanik as she celebrated her win in a burst of confetti. “I’m so happy for you,” co-host Vanna White told the lucky winner as they shared a hug.
“I’m in tears,” Seacrest said, as Derevjanik exclaimed, “I can pay off my student loans!” Regarding her promise to resign, Derevjanik demurred, saying she’ll discuss the matter with her boss “once we get back to the office.”
Derevjanik Is One of Five People to Win Over $1 Million on the Show
“I just completely went into another world,” Derevjanik later shared in a post-show interview on Wheel of Fortune’s Facebook page. “I was like ‘Oh my God! I can’t even believe that I can now pay things off [and] put stresses aside.’ This is amazing, I’m so happy.”
Derevjanik’s prize is the largest ever awarded in the show’s history. She joins an elite party of just five Wheel of Fortune contestants who have won $1 million or more. The first to win over $1 million was Michelle Loewenstein in Oct. 2008 ($1.026M). Lowenstein was followed by Autumn Erhard in 2013 ($1.030M), Sarah Manchester in 2014 ($1.017M), and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune contestant Melissa Joan Hart in 2021 ($1M).