Ryan Seacrest helped make game show history on Wheel of Fortune on September 30th! A contestant named Christina Derevjanik won a historic $1 million plus prize.
Christina, who is from Stamford, Connecticut, made game show history when she won the most money ever on a single episode of Wheel of Fortune. Her winnings totaled $1,035,155 after she scored the $1 million prize during the category "Living Things" with the answer "Pack of Coyotes."
Christina is the 4th person ever to win a million dollars on Wheel of Fortune and to make it even more fun her boss was in the crowd!
Listen back to meet Christina, recap Ryan's own reaction and to find out if she plans on quitting her job?!
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Episode Transcript
One of two point seven Kiss FM now last night
on Wheel of Fortune. Every night Van and I start
the show. I always wanted to give away a million bucks.
I keep saying, let's give away a million dollars. I
want to do it. It'd be so much fun. They've
only done it a couple times in the history of
the show, and I just felt like, Gosh, we need
to do it. We gotta do. If you put it
(00:20):
out there, if you manifest Tana, you're a big believer
of manifestation. If you put it in the universe, it
will come. And it did. Christina from Connecticut, who's joining
us in a second, won over a million dollars last
night on Wheel of Fortune. She is the winner of
the largest jackpot ever in the forty three seasons of
(00:40):
Wheel of Fortune's history. She came in. She was not
a millionaire. She had a job. Her boss was in
the audience. Yeah, what are the odds. So we'll get
into that in a second with Christina. She's on the
zoom smiling. I'm so excited to talk to you again. Christina. First,
here's last night on Wheel.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Fortune of Coyotes.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
That's the song. Here's the fireworks confetti Wow, Christina, you're
gonna mess you work. You just want a million? Oh
my gosh, I mean it was the bonus round. It
(01:19):
was the bonus round. The category was living things and
she puzzle for you, not for Christina. I was like face,
she yeah, it's before I started the countdown clock. I
know that. And let me give you a little bit
more here go out here to the camera. What would
you like to say to your boss, Congratulations, you're my
(01:40):
first million dollar winner. I don't like it too on
my life and here she is joining us now Christina
in Connecticut, Well, Christina, you are a millionaire. Has it
sunk in? You know?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
The last few days, it really has started to hit me.
I had keep this a secret for four months, as
you did too. It was definitely quite the experience doing that.
But now that everyone knows, it's just been a whirlwind
and I am just so excited. And I'm excited that
(02:16):
I was able to be your first million dollar winner
as well.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yes, now, tell sissany Tania about your job? What you
were doing? Like, well for work? The day you came
in there, you took some time from work, your boss
was there. What was your job?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah? So I am a marketing manager. So I work
in Manhattan and my boss. I worked with her at
my last company and now again at my current company.
So she's a friend. She's originally from la and she
came out with me to experience the show. And it
was just a joke kind of that we ran with
(02:54):
the whole trip. We were like, oh, well, you know,
if you win a million dollars, never thinking was going
to happen, Yeah, sure, you'll maybe not come back with me,
You'll stay out in California, quit your job. But obviously
never expected it to happen. And then when it actually
came about, we were like, oh my.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
God, yeah, well I will.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Say I yeah, I'm going to stay at my job.
So she's happy, but she but she was very supportive
the whole time. So it was just it was all
very exciting for the both of us.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
You're listening to Christina and Connecticut. She won one million,
thirty five, one hundred and fifty five dollars. She's the
fourth ever winner of a million dollars in the history
of all the Fortune and she's the largest jackpot winner
in the history of Wheel of Fortune. And you know
what the funny thing was, because we start the show.
I don't know who's gonna go the bonus round. We
started the show by you winning that trip, and I
(03:51):
remember you telling me you said, oh my gosh, my
boss is here, and I got to ask for some
time off, like a little week off to go on
this trip, and that stuck with me and we kind
of joked about it during the show. Then all of
a sudden, she gets to the million, her boss is there.
Then she wins the million, and her bosses there was
like the greatest moment ever.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I know. The whole time, I think her her jaw
is to the floor, and you know, I'm just so
excited for the trips. I mean, I get to go
to Montana, I get to go to Tokyo. So I'll
definitely be requesting some time off in the next year.
And she said that she will approve the time off,
(04:31):
so we're good.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yes, yes, So now Christina, who is with us here.
She won the money, she had to keep it a secret.
Do you keep that a secret for four months?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Oh my gosh, it was so difficult, And I have
to say, I am not holding any secrets for a time.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You have are you married, you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?
I forget your status.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I have a boyfriend.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Okay, how has he changed? Oh wow, has he proposed already? Right?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Not yet? Not yet? No, so he's very excited and that. Yeah.
Well see if he earns a trip bus.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
I love it so much. A million bucks. Then she
gets the thirty five, one hundred and fifty five she
already won in the show. And this is the thing,
This is why you love Wheel of Fortune because people
come on, they went real money. Even if she won
the trips and just the money, that's a big night
in thirty minutes, guys, this is a thirty minute show.
She walked in wanting to win something. She walked out
(05:38):
a millionaire. And so if you've never been on the show,
you always wanted to go to Wheel of Fortune dot
com sign up? I mean, why not, right? I mean
why not?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah? Absolutely? I mean I think I applied a few
years ago, and then it was a while later that
I got that first email saying, hey, we would love
to interview you for the show. I went through the
interviews and it took another few months until I got
that email saying you are selected to be a contestant.
(06:13):
And it was three weeks later I was flying out
to LA and going for what turned out to be
an adventure of lifetime. So it was just so surreal,
and I just I can't believe that you know this
is going to really just change my whole future.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Well, you are so so good at the game. I
loved meeting you. I'm happy that you want. Ecstatic then
and I both ecstatic that you want, she says, Hi,
by the way, and we are gonna do it every
weeknight seven thirty on ABC seven in Los Angeles. If
you're anywhere else streaming, check your local listings. It's on
everywhere around the country. Wheel of Fortune, the biggest winner
(06:52):
of all time. Christina there in Connecticut, thank you, good luck, congrets.
I'm just gonna text. I'm just gonna textpell me or EP.
Have you old like you're all when do you see
people in the office next?
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I will probably be seeing them within the next couple
of days. Okay, can you videotape here with me throughout
the whole quest journey?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Okay? Can you videotape like reaction from some people, your
your crew, your boss, your team, I mean, your coworkers,
because if you can get like some good video, I
want to put that in the show with then and
I one of our closes. At the end of the show,
I want to roll it back. So maybe just show
some of the excitement when people see for the first
time and have your boss videotape it or something to
send into Is that cool?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Absolutely? You got it?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
All right, Christina, I'll see you later. Thanks for comingratulations,
all right, bye, so much, Bye. What a great person
to win the million dollars thirty thirty minutes. Come on,
it's wild, Sophie, our intern. Why go to college, drop
out and play Wheel of Fortune? That's next on my list.
(07:55):
Come on, it's easier than Jeffardy. No, you should. You
should graduate hard. Jeffies too hard. Oh my gosh, this
is way easier than Jeopardy? Are kidding?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Mean?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
That's for me? That's right, that's right. I'm assisting you
on this coming back one or two point seven kids,
m do you want sold out chaperon tickets? Call me
Hosts And Creators
Ryan Seacrest
Sisanie
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