A Minnesota woman stunned both viewers and host Ryan Seacrest after solving the Wheel of Fortune Bonus Round puzzle almost instantly — walking away with a total of $65,650 in winnings.
Delinda Rood, from Rosemount, Minnesota, appeared on the November 4 episode alongside two other contestants: Justin Zamora from Palo Alto, California, and Shateria Smith from Chattanooga, Tennessee. The self-described “ambivert” — someone who’s a mix of introvert and extrovert — had a few slow starts before making one of the night’s fastest puzzle solves.
The game kicked off with no one solving the first toss-up, which was eventually revealed as “My Game Face.” Rood quickly found her footing, buzzing in to solve the second toss-up, “Practical Joker,” earning her $2,000 right off the bat.
Zamora, a contestant who shared he once proposed after a seven-hour hike, grabbed his own win by solving “Candy Girl You Are My World” for $12,549 — plus an all-expenses-paid trip to Norway. Meanwhile, Smith, an author and entrepreneur, snagged the coveted One Million Dollar Wedge after correctly solving “Summer & Boot Camp,” adding $1,900 to her total.
But when Smith stumbled on the next puzzle, Rood seized the opportunity — solving “Spoil Yourself At The Spa” with only a few letters remaining. That win added a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, and boosted her total to $10,950.
Rood then dominated the triple toss-up round, solving two of the three puzzles, while Smith captured the final one. In the decisive round, Rood clinched her spot in the Bonus Round after cracking “A Tough Nut To Crack.” By that point, she had earned $20,650, while Zamora finished with $12,549 and Smith ended with $3,900.
For the Bonus Round, Rood chose the category “Around the House.” She was joined on set by her husband, Mark, and their daughter, Molly, as the final puzzle letters appeared on the board. After the automatic letters R, S, T, L, N, and E were revealed, she selected M, V, K, and A — giving her the puzzle: _ARM _ _ _LT.
The timer had barely started when Rood confidently declared, “For my mother-in-law, Warm Quilt!”
Host Ryan Seacrest was visibly stunned. “Yeah! Did you know it? Did you know it?” he asked in disbelief.
When Seacrest opened the prize envelope, the audience erupted — she had just won $45,000, bringing her grand total to $65,650.
“You didn’t even have to think about it!” Seacrest said, grinning.
Rood smiled and nodded. “I knew it!”
It was a lightning-fast finish that had even longtime Wheel of Fortune fans cheering — and proved that sometimes, instincts (and a little family inspiration) can lead to a big win.
