Watching “Wheel of Fortune” was a family tradition for Jennifer Hawkins, division administrator for Infectious Diseases at Michigan Medicine.
“I’ve been a fan all my life,” Hawkins said. “I grew up in Louisiana, and we watched ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in the evenings, always competing to see who could solve the puzzles first.”
Hawkins also recalls being fascinated with Vanna White and her endless wardrobe of sparkly dresses.
“She never wore the same dress twice,” Hawkins said.
As a child, Hawkins dreamed of being on a game show — and decided to pursue that goal last spring when she saw an ad that said “Wheel of Fortune” was looking for contestants.
Seven months later, Hawkins was on the set of “Wheel of Fortune” and wound up winning $23,894 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Hawaii.
But in April, Hawkins just felt optimistic as she hit submit on her online application. A month later, she got an email saying a casting agent wanted to meet her on a video call.
That call turned out to be a group interview, with Hawkins answering questions, along with five other potential contestants. Shortly thereafter, Hawkins was invited to another video call — this time with just one other applicant, and they took turns solving puzzles.
Finally, in July, Hawkins got an email saying “Wheel of Fortune” wanted her on the show. They shared a few upcoming show themes and asked if she had any personal connection to Disney or the holidays.
“I waxed on and on about all the things I love about Thanksgiving, but I didn’t get on that show,” said Hawkins, laughing.
A casting agent reached out again in October and asked Hawkins if she had any upcoming milestones. She mentioned that she would be turning 50 in late November.
This time, the stars aligned. “Wheel of Fortune” was also about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and the casting team was looking for 50-year-old contestants.
Hawkins was invited to travel to Los Angeles to film an episode Nov. 7 that would air in early January.
“I found out I’d made it on to the show about two weeks prior to filming, so I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare,” Hawkins said.
To get ready, Hawkins studied old “Wheel of Fortune” puzzles she found online and practiced with the help of her friends and family. She also attended a video call, where contestants were told what to expect — and what to wear.
“The one time I felt stressed was when I missed an email saying we needed to send in pictures of what we were planning to wear on the show,” Hawkins said.
“I had a closet full of things, and, of course, nothing to wear. So, I ran to Macy’s and this wonderful salesperson, Hanadi, helped me shop and took pictures of me in different outfits.”
Her final outfit choice: a plum-colored suit.
“They told us solid colors work best on camera,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins said contestants have to cover the cost of their own travel expenses and wardrobe. “But everyone gets $1,000 for being on the show, which helps cover some of that,” she said.
On Nov. 6, Hawkins flew to Los Angeles, meeting her younger brother, who flew in from Louisiana. The next morning, her call-time was at 6:45 a.m. at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California.
When it was time to tape the show, Hawkins said, she wasn’t nervous. “You’re there to play the game and kind of forget about the camera or the audience.”
Another contestant solved the first two puzzles, but Hawkins solved the next two, amassing more than $12,000 in cash, the trip to Hawaii — and the lead.
“After I solved a puzzle, my first thought was, well, I’ve covered all my travel expenses to California,” said Hawkins, laughing.
She maintained her lead and solved two more puzzles during the Triple Toss-up round.
Heading into the final puzzle and with time running short, Hawkins had the final spin, and she landed on the $5,000 wedge. The show adds $1,000 to the final spin amount, so each consonant in the last puzzle was worth $6,000.
Landing on the $5,000 wedge was one of Hawkins’ goals on the show, but that high-value wedge also helped catapult another contestant past Hawkins, as he solved the final puzzle and surpassed Hawkins’ earnings by about $3,000.
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If she could change one thing about her performance, Hawkins said, she’d call for an “E,” rather than an “O,” in that final round because the puzzle ended up being “sheer lace curtains.” That incorrect guess cost her a turn, the puzzle, and, ultimately, the lead and a chance to compete in the Bonus Round.
Still, Hawkins walked away with nearly $24,000 in cash and prizes and said appearing on the show and meeting both host Ryan Seacrest and White was an overwhelmingly positive experience.
“As competitive as I am, I was really happy that all three of us solved puzzles during the show, and we all won a nice amount of money,” Hawkins said.
With “Wheel of Fortune” now checked off her bucket list, Hawkins said she is thinking about applying to “Jeopardy!”
“But I’d have to really prepare for that. I don’t want to get there, freeze up, and become a meme,” she said, laughing.
