My “British Ogre” Fail on The Wheel of Fortune

I woke up on Friday, October 13^th feeling so many mixed emotions. I fell asleep the night before crying over the tragedy that has befallen our families in Israel. I woke up thanking God for celebrating my two-month anniversary with my husband. And I was also excited and anxious that today may be the day I get to play on my favorite game show “Wheel of Fortune”.

Little did I know that not only I would be a contestant, but I my stint was about to go viral as one of the greatest “Wheel of Fortune” fails in the history of the show!

After applying for “Wheel of Fortune” and going through rounds of interviews with the producers, they told me that it might take six months to a year to maybe be chosen to be on my favorite game show. The odds of being chosen were very small.

To my surprise, they emailed me the next day, telling me I was accepted to appear on taping of October 13^th. I screamed from excitement but then noticed the date fell out on a Friday. My dream of being a contestant on my favorite game show wasn’t going to happen because that was no way I would miss lighting my Shabbat candles at 6:04 PM. I was heartbroken, but my Judaism came first.

I sent an email thanking them for this amazing opportunity and mentioned that I must get home before sunset for Shabbat. I thought they would disqualify and select another lucky candidate but the amazing Wheel of Fortune team called me!

“Legally, we can’t pick a time slot for you since it’s a specific process,” she said. “But I’ll tell you what: Just show up that day as if you are going on the show, come and get ready, and hopefully you might be chosen to appear earlier. We want you there.” Out of the 20 people that arrive at the studio, only 15 get to play. This entire WOF team were so respectful and understanding and I was excited to have the opportunity to show my Jewish pride at a time when it’s so necessary.

My husband, Saman, and I faced many challenges the past few months. Planning a wedding, then moving three days after the wedding from NY to LA. Saying goodbye to my family and friends at the airport where we hugged each other and cried. It was not easy but I had trust in God that this was where I needed to be. Moving was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. We had Sheva brachot thousands of feet up in the air with amazing strangers on the plane.

The night before the taping, I sat with Saman and told him how anxious I was. We’d been learning about faith and trust in God together, and he told me, “Don’t be nervous or anxious. God has already written your check. It’s all in His hands.” And with that, I calmed down.

When I got to the studio the next morning and was sent to hair and makeup. While I was sitting in the chair, the stylist asked me, “How do you feel?” I said, “It’s my dream to be on this show but I might have to decline the offer. If I’m picked to appear too late, I’ll have to decline since I am Jewish and Shabbat starts at 6PM. I have to go home to light my Shabbat candles.”

The stylist replied, “Oh, you reminded me, I want to go home and also light tonight – for Israel. I’m Jewish too.”

After hair and makeup, I discovered my fate: I was chosen at a time that would allow me to make it home in time for Shabbat. Now the pressure was on. As the producers cued up the intro, I was feeling anxious, everything started becoming so surreal. I can solve every puzzle at home on my couch, but can I do it now on this big stage with hundreds of cameras? My heart was beating so fast. Right after the intro, the category “Showbiz” came up and this appears on the board:

I buzzed in and replied: “The British Ogre.”

“Say again?” Pat Sajak asked.

“The British Ogre,” I repeated.

“Uh, no,” Pat replied. “Somebody else?”

The correct answer was “The Critics Agree” – my answer didn’t even fit. In the heat of the moment, I panicked. I looked out into the audience and caught eyes with Saman. He motioned to me to breathe and smile. In that moment my heart stopped racing. I calmed down. I was able to play but I was still anxious.

In the prize puzzle round, I messed up again. It had to go back to the other two contestants before it would come back to me. I wasn’t going to get it. But even though I was third to spin the wheel, the other two contestants got a “Lose a Turn” and it got right back to me! I solved the puzzle and God gifted us with a cruise for our honeymoon.

Once the British Ogre clip aired on TV, it blew up online, and even made headlines on The New York Post, The Sun, The Huffington Post, and Yahoo.

‘Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak Is Stunned By Contestant’s Hilariously Wrong Answer”
‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Viewers (And ‘Shrek’ Fans) Are Delighted By A Contestant’s ‘Worst Guess Ever’

I was shocked to discover that “The British Ogre” was trending. I read some negative and positive comments and sat in my emotions for a few moments. I told myself, Okay, this is what God wants, to make millions laugh in a time of difficulty. A lot of posts mentioned how much they loved it. One person put “The British Ogre” on her gratitude list. Another said they enjoyed my answer more than the actual answer. One post said “The British Ogre needs to be a thing, I don't watch the show, so I'm out of place here, but the phrase creates just such a delicious image in one's head. Masterful.”

I started to have some fun with it and not let it get to me. I posted on Instagram a photo of myself and “The British Ogre,” captioning, “Sometimes when you’re anxious you just need a friend beside you. Thank you to my favorite ‘British Ogre’ for calming me down. If only you didn’t appear right before I was about to solve maybe the whole world wouldn’t think I’m crazy. You and your Fomo, Sir Clyde.” I’m happy my flub turned into millions of people laughing and spreading humor.

I learned a valuable lesson that day. There may be moments when it feels too challenging. You need to spin that wheel and do your part, but God knows where to stop the wheel – He knows what is best for you. You need to have faith that whatever happens, whether you guess right or not, it’s ultimately dependent on God. One day you’ll look back at that stressful day and laugh at the outcome.

Today I laugh about the viral headlines and my embarrassing gaffe on national TV. I learned to let it go and let it be. This is how God wants to write my story, and in the end it’s going to be a beautiful one. My husband and I were able to go on a honeymoon cruise thanks to the show!

So thank You God, for every blessing, even if at times it doesn’t feel like one. Thank you for the millions of laughs, for being part of our beautiful people, and for my inspiring faith and religion. Shabbat Shalom! I need to go light my candles now.