Pittsburgh was well-represented on "Wheel of Fortune" Wednesday night, when one of our own was close to winning “America’s Game.”
Jefferson Hills native Ryan Muldowney, who is now a senior story producer out in Los Angeles, showed his impressive skills on a national stage, taking home nearly $15,000.
While he did have a chance at $1 million, he ultimately came up short on the final puzzle, but tells KDKA Radio he had an amazing experience.
“It was like a dream and it was beyond thrilling.”
Muldowney says his heart dropped when he saw the final round puzzle with so many letters. With only 10 seconds to solve, he was unable to come up with the answer, “Checking my availability.”
While he wasn’t able to solve the final puzzle, he still took home $14,850, which includes a trip to Costa Rica.
Muldowney says he now knows what it feels like to assume the game is easy when watching from the comfort of your home, compared to the reality of being on the set.
He says there are monitors all over the set showing what letters are still available along with current and total cash winnings.
The social media reaction after was surprising. Muldowney says the reaction was overwhelmingly supportive with one Wheel fan account identifying him as “hot”.
Muldowney says he knew his family and friends would enjoy the show but has been getting feedback from friends of friends and total strangers.
If you think you have what it takes to impress Pat and Vanna with your spinning skills, you can apply to be a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune" here.