‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant Wins Dream Honeymoon After Heartwarming Vanna White Confession — But A $40,000 Bonus Round Mistake Changes Everything
A newly engaged Wheel of Fortune contestant turned a childhood obsession with Vanna White into an unforgettable television appearance, winning a romantic getaway that could become the perfect honeymoon.
Allie DeRocco, a mechanical engineer from Haddonfield, New Jersey, appeared on the Thursday, October 8 episode and immediately won over host Ryan Seacrest with a hilarious story about her family’s longtime love of the game show.
But her appearance wasn’t just about childhood memories.
After recovering from an early setback, DeRocco fought her way into the Bonus Round with more than $17,000 in winnings, including a luxury trip to Costa Rica.
Unfortunately, one final puzzle stood between her and an additional $40,000.
Contestant Reveals Why She Has Always Been Team Vanna
During introductions, Seacrest celebrated DeRocco for representing women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“That’s right. I’m a mechanical engineer,” she confirmed.
She also shared an ambitious professional goal: opening her own STEM laboratory within the next year.
However, another major life event might affect her plans.
“My dream is to open up a STEM lab in the next year or so, but, um, I might be a little busy because I just got engaged!” she revealed.
Seacrest congratulated her before bringing up an unusual detail about her childhood.
DeRocco had always been a devoted Vanna White fan, even when playing Wheel of Fortune on a computer.
She explained that she and her brother Matt used to play a video game version of the show that allowed players to disable White’s appearances to make the game move faster.
Her brother always chose that option.
DeRocco, however, refused.
“I always kept her on because what is the Wheel of Fortune without Vanna?” she explained.
Seacrest immediately turned toward the camera to address her brother.
“How dare you, Matt?” he joked.
He then encouraged White to give Matt a special demonstration by walking across the puzzle board.
The longtime television personality happily obliged.
“Matt, this is for you,” White said.
The playful exchange delighted DeRocco and her fellow contestants, Kendall Galloway of Chicago, Illinois, and Arnesti Maio of San Francisco, California.
A Rough Start Turns Into An Impressive Comeback
Once the game began, DeRocco faced some early difficulties.
Maio claimed the First Toss-Up, while Galloway won the Second Toss-Up.
Things became even more frustrating for DeRocco when she landed on Bankrupt during the opening round, leaving her with no winnings.
But her fortunes changed in the Mystery Round.
She successfully solved the puzzle “Call Your Agent of Chaos,” earning $4,900 and putting herself firmly back into contention.
The momentum continued during the Prize Puzzle Round, where she secured another victory.
This time, the prize was particularly meaningful.
DeRocco won a trip to Costa Rica valued at $8,028.
And when Seacrest remembered that she had recently become engaged, he immediately recognized how well the prize suited her upcoming wedding plans.
Ryan Seacrest Spots The Perfect Honeymoon Prize
As the Costa Rica vacation was revealed, Seacrest pointed out one particularly romantic feature of the accommodation.
“I mean, you said you just got engaged. There’s a tub for two in all of that,” he told DeRocco.
The contestant enthusiastically agreed, describing the vacation as the “perfect honeymoon.”
What had started as a difficult game was suddenly turning into an exciting celebration of her engagement.
The trip also meant that DeRocco could enjoy a major vacation with her future husband without having to arrange the entire getaway herself.
Her winning streak continued during the Triple Toss-Up Round.
She solved two of the three puzzles, increasing her total to $17,678.
Although Maio claimed the final puzzle of the regular game, DeRocco had accumulated enough to advance to the Bonus Round.
She was now one puzzle away from potentially adding a significant cash prize to her winnings.
Seacrest Teases Contestant’s Fiancé About Wedding Plans
Before the Bonus Round began, Seacrest introduced two special guests who had come to support DeRocco.
Her fiancé, Matt, and her mother, Michelle, were in the audience.
Naturally, the conversation quickly turned to the upcoming wedding.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Seacrest asked Matt.
“Fall,” he replied.
DeRocco laughed and clarified that they had only recently settled on the season.
“We just decided ‘fall’ was the wedding,” she explained.
Seacrest couldn’t resist teasing the couple about their still-developing plans.
“You hear that, Mom? A fall coming soon,” he joked.
The exchange added another lighthearted moment to an episode that had already featured plenty of laughter.
But the atmosphere became more tense when DeRocco turned her attention to the final puzzle.
The $40,000 Bonus Round Puzzle That Ended Her Winning Streak
For the Bonus Round, DeRocco faced a puzzle in the category “What Are You Wearing?”
After the usual letters were revealed and her additional selections were added, she had only a short time to work out the answer.
Unfortunately, the phrase proved too difficult.
The correct solution was:
BROWN SUEDE PUMPS
DeRocco was unable to identify the answer before time expired.
Seacrest then opened the prize envelope, revealing that she had missed out on an additional $40,000.
It was a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise successful appearance.
Had she solved the puzzle, her total winnings would have increased substantially.
Instead, the bonus money remained unclaimed.
A Happy Ending Despite The Missed $40,000
Although DeRocco failed to win the Bonus Round, she still left Wheel of Fortune with an impressive prize package.
Her final total was $17,678 in cash and prizes, including the Costa Rica vacation.
For a contestant preparing for marriage, the getaway was particularly well timed.
And the experience gave her something else that money couldn’t buy: the opportunity to meet Vanna White after years of admiring her on television.
From her childhood computer game memories to Seacrest’s jokes about her brother and fiancé, DeRocco’s appearance delivered several memorable moments beyond the puzzles themselves.
The missed $40,000 was undoubtedly frustrating, but it did not erase everything she had achieved during the game.
Allie DeRocco may have missed the biggest prize of the night, but she walked away with a dream honeymoon destination, thousands of dollars in winnings and a special moment with the television star she had admired since childhood.