'I can do this.' Will Smithville resident get zonked on TV's 'Let's Make A Deal?'

Smithville resident Courtney Van Dyne negotiated quite a deal.

She managed to become a contestant on a national television show airing at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, on CBS, without leaving home.

Faithfully watching "Let's Make A Deal" every morning, Van Dyne took special note one October day when the show featured a contestant playing the game from home.

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In the fall of 2020, the pandemic prompted the long-running game show to incorporate virtual contestants, nicknamed "at-homies," in their hybrid audience.

As she watched an at-home contestant become a winner, Van Dyne figured, "I can do this."

It didn't take long for her to check out the show's website and begin the application procedure.

"It was a pretty easy process," she said. "It was so much fun."

After she filled out the form, she was called by a program representative to set up an interview with one of the show's producers.

On the first FaceTime interview, "I didn't have to have a costume," Van Dyne said, referring to one of the show's traditions — dressing in something that will attract attention in order to be selected as a contestant.

Van Dyne's second interview, however, included costume approval. She chose to be a sunflower, reflecting her occupation as a florist.

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She and two cousins run Country Daisies Floral in Wooster.

"(My costume) is bright," she said, adding, "The lighting is great on the screen."

But she thinks it was something else that elevated her above other applicants.

"On the first interview, they asked me a bunch of questions," she said, pretty certain discussion of her background on a dairy farm in Ohio "sealed the deal."

Van Dyne's aunt and uncle own Circle J Farms in Wayne County where she spent some time growing up and still milks cows there.

In California, "I don't think they get a lot of that," she said.

She guesses producers thought it would be "a cool thing to put on the show."

Another question might also have separated her from the crowd. When asked what she would like to win, her answer was a boat.

"I aspire to be a professional fisherman," she said. "By the time I'm 50, I want to be on Bassmaster."

"I am a dreamer. I love adventure," she added. "I'll make a way."

Van Dyne, citing a quick turnaround of 72 hours to get a segment taped once contacted about being a participant, was concerned a trip she had planned to Las Vegas might be bad timing. As it turned out, she made it home just two days before being called.

When her part in the show was recorded via FaceTime in December, "right here in my home," she said, "it was exactly like watching it on the screen. It was awesome!"

According to online information, "Let's Make A Deal" revolves around selected audience members making deals as "traders" with host Wayne Brady.

A trader is offered an item of value to keep or exchange for an unknown item. It is possible they could end up with a "zonk" prize of little or no value.

Throughout the process, Van Dyne has said, "I can do this."

Does she? Watch Wednesday to cheer on Van Dyne and other contestants as they "face deals and zonks" and to see how Van Dyne fares.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: How a Wooster florist from Smithville wound up on 'Let's Make A Deal'