‘Wheel of Fortune’ hopefuls audition in uptown Charlotte
Hundreds of people turned out in uptown Charlotte Sunday to audition for the long-running TV game show “Wheel of Fortune.”
Kathy Harrison of Abingdon, Va., was the first contestant called to the stage shortly after 1 p.m. The show’s mobile operation was set up outside of the NASCAR Hall of Fame building on East M.L. King Jr. Boulevard.
By 3:30 p.m., the line to get signed in was winding around part of the building, with a crowd of potential contestants already gathered on the plaza.
Harrison won the first round in a contest with four others. She got to walk away with a “Wheel of Fortune” T-shirt.
Harrison, who is living in the area temporarily while her husband is working in Mooresville, hopes her performance will earn her an invitation to compete on the show. Either way, she knows she made her mama proud. Both were decades-long fans before her mother’s death in 2001.
“This is for you, Mom,” she said after her win.
The category Harrison won was called “things.” With eight letters on the board – four in each of the two rows – she correctly guessed the phrase “Chinese noodles” to win the round.
“I will eat Chinese noodles ’til the day I die,” she said, smiling broadly.
Karen Sullivan: 704-358-5532, @Sullivan_kms
This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 4:09 PM with the headline "‘Wheel of Fortune’ hopefuls audition in uptown Charlotte."