Local man competes on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Jun. 9—LENOIR — David Jones of Lenoir had no idea when he filled out an online application for the long-running television game show "Wheel of Fortune" that he would actually be a contestant. However, a few short weeks after his submission, he was standing on the famous soundstage in California.

"I think the word that I would use is surreal," said Jones. "It's very surreal to be on that soundstage and to see yourself on TV."

His episode, which aired Monday, June 5, was a special "Star Wars Galactic Celebration." Jones attributes his being selected to his humorous responses to the application questions.

"I think what set me apart is, I tried to be funny in my answers," he said. "There were of course many 'Star Wars' related questions, like, 'Do you have any 'Star Wars' collectibles? If so, tell us about it.' Asking a 'Star Wars' fan that is like asking grandparents about their grandkids. I would respond with something like, 'I had every action figure and set, but tragically they were all destroyed in a house fire when the Death Star destroyed my home world.' I got an email a few days later that I was selected."

Jones wore a black and white "Star Wars" T-shirt during the show in honor of the occasion. He explained that a number of the puzzles were "Star Wars" related. If the clue for the puzzle was "movie character," for instance, it was most likely a "Star Wars" character. He said contestants had to stay on their toes throughout the game.

Unfortunately, Jones did not win his game, but came in third. Looking back, he said he played a bit more "conservatively" than he should have.

"The competition itself was a lot of fun, but bankrupts kept popping up," he said about the fate of the wheel spin. "If I knew the puzzle, I felt I should solve the puzzle while I had the wheel. A couple times I had money and got bankrupt. It probably kept my dollar amounts low, but the bankrupt makes you hesitant to take this chance."

Erica Peters, one of the other contestants, took home the grand prize. Jones, despite placing third, was still able to take home $5,550 in cash.

"That's the great thing about 'Wheel of Fortune'," he said. "Whatever you have in your account, you get to keep going forward."

To prepare for the competition, Jones said he and his wife, Jessica, watched a lot of "Wheel of Fortune" reruns on the TV app Pluto.

"Once I knew I was a candidate, we were heavy 'Wheel' watchers, for sure," said Jones. "We would watch maybe two or three episodes each night. I'd practice solving puzzles on the 'Wheel of Fortune' website ... I focused a lot on strategy and familiarizing myself with a lot of the gameplay, rules and intricacies."

Jones said that Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the hosts of "Wheel of Fortune," were exactly like how they come across on TV.

"People always ask about Pat and Vanna," said Jones. "Vanna interacts with the studio audience. Pat is very chatty with the contestants between games. He'll talk with the guests, chat them up. That was really fun."

Jones would like to thank his wife for encouraging him to compete on "Wheel of Fortune."

"She was more confident than I was," he said.

Jones and his family and friends held a watch party at Cedar Rock Country Club on Monday night. He said his mom, Bronda Jones, wore a Princess Leia costume.

One of the neatest parts of this experience was the friends he made along the way. Jones has remained in contact with a number of the other contestants, who came from across the country to play the game.

"We have a chat group, and we talk often," he said. "Some of them have been making memes, or meeting each other if they live close. We've developed a lot of friendships."

Follow Jones on Instagram at DavidJones66 or on Facebook to find pictures from his trip.