Ryan Seacrest was just as disappointed as the final contestant with the results of Wheel of Fortune‘s Tuesday, November 3, episode.
Matt Malagiere from Howell, New Jersey, competed on the game show’s latest episode. “[You’re] a big sports guy, but not just the game. There’s other stuff, right?” Seacrest asked, to which Malagiere replied, “Not just the game. I am a huge New York Giants sports fan, have had tickets for years, season tickets. But for me, it’s all about the tailgate.”
Sharing his love for tailgating, Malagiere continued, “I love getting there before the gates open, sitting in line, waiting. I’m a big superstitious kind of guy when it comes to that. I don’t sit down during tailgates. We formulate our tailgate based on the visiting team that’s coming. We make cuisine based on the city that that team’s coming from. For example, if you’re talking about, let’s say, New Orleans, we would do something like a jambalaya. If you’re doing Kansas City, we’re doing Kansas City barbecue.”
Seacrest then asked what dish Malagiere would cook up for a Las Vegas Raiders game. “We gotta make giant shrimp cocktail, obviously. That’s what we gotta do,” the contestant replied.
Malagiere entered the episode’s Second Round with $1,000. His competitors — Katie Henkenius from Monroe, Iowa, and Stacey Colson from White Plains, New York — started the round with $2,100 and $2,000, respectively. Despite going bankrupt, Malagiere bounced back by guessing the round’s puzzle clue, “Parking Space Invaders,” bringing his total up to $9,650.
Malagiere’s total remained the same by the end of the Prize Puzzle Round, while Henkenius later jumped into the lead with $12,430 and a trip to St. Maarten. The tides turned again in Malagiere’s favor during the Triple Toss-Up and final puzzle of the night, securing him a spot in the Bonus Round with total winnings of $13,300.
Before Malagiere solved his Bonus Round “Place” puzzle, Seacrest gave a special shout-out to the contestant’s family standing on the side of the stage. “How’s Dad doing?” he asked, to which Malagiere’s wife, Kate, replied, “He’s doing great.”
Seacrest playfully asked Malagiere to share which of his three kids is his “favorite.” Malagiere jokingly responded, “We’ll talk backstage.”
For the Bonus Round puzzle, Malagiere was given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, and guessed H, D, M, and A. The clues didn’t help much, and Malagiere ultimately failed to guess the puzzle’s answer: “Auto Body Shop.”
Surprise and disappointment crossed Seacrest’s face as he opened the Bonus Round prize envelope. When the envelope’s contents were revealed, the audience groaned to learn Malagiere could have taken home a $100,000 prize. Malagiere still walked away with a decent cash prize of $13,300.
“Nice to meet you and the family,” Seacrest said at the end of the episode while pulling Malagiere in for a handshake and hug.
Wheel of Fortune, Weekdays, Check Local Listings, Stream Next Day on Hulu and Peacock