Things got a little wild on Wheel of Fortune Tuesday night as one contestant came dangerously close to dropping a not-so-family-friendly word on national television — and host Ryan Seacrest couldn’t stop laughing.
Maki Asrat, a spirited contestant from Brooklyn, New York, had viewers glued to their screens during the June 4 episode. Facing off against Anthony Monroe of Albany, Georgia, and Jessica Beasley from Hartsville, South Carolina, Asrat dominated early and quickly became the one to watch..
She kicked off the night strong, solving the first two toss-up puzzles with impressive speed — nailing one of them with only two letters revealed. Her infectious energy and competitive edge were impossible to miss. At one point, Asrat shared that she’d recently gotten back into sewing after an earlier failed attempt. The audience loved her candid charm — and so did Seacrest…
The American Idol host bonded with her over emotional TV moments. Asrat confessed that she used to cry when Idol contestants didn’t make it to Hollywood. “I still cry when they don’t make it,” Seacrest chimed in, smiling.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. During one puzzle, Asrat initially guessed “Someone’s Watching Me,” only to correct herself just in time with the winning answer: “Somebody’s Watching Me.” That win landed her a vacation to Cabo San Lucas.
She kept the momentum going during the Mystery Round. Asrat bravely flipped the Mystery Wedge and came out $10,000 richer after solving “Egg on Your Face Lift,” bringing her total winnings to $23,900 and putting her way ahead of the competition.
Meanwhile, Jessica Beasley, who proudly shared her love for vintage cars, had her moment to shine by solving the Prize Puzzle — “The Perfect Temperature” — and bagging a trip to Hawaii plus a Wild Card. She climbed to second place with $12,319. Monroe, a retired Marine, finally got on the board with “Dollar Signs,” walking away with $3,200.
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But it was Asrat who secured the top spot with a whopping $33,900 and advanced to the Bonus Round.
As the timer ticked down, Asrat blurted out, “Cursing in… Cursing, cursing, cursing and—” but couldn’t land on the correct phrase.
Seacrest couldn’t help but crack up. “It’s like you’re desperate to say a bad word here,” he joked.
Sometimes you get stuck on a word and can’t shake it,” Seacrest said as Asrat laughed off the flub.
Though she missed out on a $40,000 prize, Asrat still left the game with nearly $34,000 in winnings — and a moment that had everyone talking.
