For University of Richmond senior Christina Currie and her twin sister, Katie Currie, competing on "Wheel of Fortune" was a dream come true. Not only did the sisters walk away with an impressive total of $88,248 in winnings and trips to Maui and Portugal, but with memories of a competition they described as both nerve-racking and exhilarating.
Katie, a longtime fan of the show, had applied multiple times before finally catching the producers’ attention. One small detail made all the difference: she mentioned she was a twin.
“They asked if my twin would be interested,” Katie said. “I immediately said yes.”
Once selected, the sisters dedicated themselves to preparation.
“We definitely both spent a lot of time watching the show,” Christina said.
In addition to countless YouTube videos, the two practiced for over an hour each night on the "Wheel of Fortune" app for two weeks leading up to their big moment.
Despite their preparation, the game didn’t start in their favor.
“At the start, when we didn’t get the first two toss-ups, we thought we might walk away empty-handed,” Katie said.
But everything changed when they solved their first puzzle, winning $12,000.
“After we solved it, we took a commercial break and looked at each other—we were thrilled,” Christina said.
Their biggest victory came in the bonus round when they correctly guessed the word “Houseguest,” securing an additional $50,000.
“At first, it was incredibly nerve-racking,” Christina said. “I was completely shocked when Katie said, ‘Houseguest,’ and it was completely right!”
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As if the cash winnings weren’t exciting enough, the sisters also won trips to Maui and Portugal, both of which they plan to take together—Maui in May after graduation and Portugal in October.
Keeping the outcome a secret was one of the hardest parts of the experience.
“Everyone was so surprised that I was gonna be on it,” Christina said.
After filming ended, the twins were exhausted both mentally and physically. They went to dinner and sat in their own disbelief, Christina said.
Behind the scenes, the experience was memorable as well. The sisters were surprised by how heavy the iconic wheel was, and they even got to practice spinning it before filming. Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host, made an effort to connect with the contestants.
“During the first commercial break, Ryan came around and shook everyone’s hands,” Christina said. “I told him, ‘I’m missing two classes for this today. I’m so excited to be here.’”
At the end of the show after their big win, Seacrest asked her, “So, was this worth missing your studying for?”
Although the twins say that there may not be another game show in their future, they are satisfied with this “bucket-list” experience, Katie said.
One thing is for sure: they’ll never get tired of watching their episode. When asked how many times they’ve rewatched it, they laughed and answered, “Too many.”
Contact features writer Logan Cooper at logan.cooper@richmond.edu
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