Derby man will be on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Thursday
Bob Stuhlsatz’s daughter is a “Wheel of Fortune” fan.
So when the Wheelmobile – a roving version of the popular game show that serves as an audition for potential players – came to the Kansas Star Casino in May, his daughter talked him into tagging along, he said.
Little did he know that trip would result in him being invited to Los Angeles to be a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune.”
There’s probably a bit of jealousy at play from his daughter, too – Stuhlsatz, 59, admits he is just a casual watcher of the show, not a diehard fan like his daughter.
“It’s a great show, but I’m not a faithful watcher,” he said.
Stuhlsatz is not allowed to say how much he won, so you’ll have to watch to find out at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on KSN, Channel 3 in Wichita.
Prepping for the show
After he found out he would be a contestant on the show, Stuhlsatz said his children and grandchildren helped him prepare for the experience.
“We watched it when it came on TV or taped it if we missed it, but we also practiced it on my son’s” PlayStation 3 video game, Stuhlsatz said. “My daughter tried to drill the rules into me – all the different things, the different side games and deals they have on the Wheel.”
He flew out to Los Angeles with his wife and was one of many contestants to film on Jan. 6 – six episodes of “Wheel of Fortune” were filmed in the same day, he said.
“The interaction with all the other contestants – we all just seemed like normal people from the neighborhood – everybody got along real well,” Stuhlsatz said. “Vanna (White) came in mid-morning and talked to us. She was very personable. I never did get an opportunity to visit with Pat (Sajak), though on the set they were very friendly.”
Stuhlsatz is one of a few recent “Wheel of Fortune” contestants who made it through auditioning at the Kansas Star Casino.
When he was watching the TV show in December, he said, he noticed there were contestants from Wichita and Hutchinson, so it’s likely they also auditioned in May at the casino.
Matt Riedl: 316-268-6660, @RiedlMatt
This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Derby man will be on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Thursday."