A WHEEL of Fortune contestant has revealed behind-the-scenes secrets of the game show’s audition process – and provided the trick to winning puzzles.

The U.S. Sun spoke exclusively with Ted Slauson, the subject of The Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much, about his experience on the long-running game show.

A Wheel of Fortune contestant revealed behind-the-scenes secrets of the game show’s audition processCredit: ABC

The U.S. Sun spoke exclusively with Ted Slauson about his experience auditioning for the Wheel of Fortune and his insights into the gameCredit: YouTube Movies and TV
Ted Slauson beat The Price is Right by watching episodes religiously, and documenting and memorizing the correct cost of reoccurring show prizes.

It’s a practice that helped contestant Terry Kneiss win a double showcase by making a perfect bid of $23,743 and eventually got Slauson banned from participating.

While the game show savant is no longer welcome to spectate at The Price is Right, his daytime TV expertise extends beyond just the Drew Carey-hosted price guessing game.

THE AUDITION PROCESS

When asked about being picked to compete on the Wheel of Fortune, Slauson told the U.S. Sun, “When I auditioned, it was back in 2001 or 2002, the whole first part is, everyone’s there.

“They call you just randomly, you stand up, and you take a couple turns, and then you sit down, and they have somebody else stand up, and then they do the part.

“It’s literally like a test, and you have to fill in as many puzzles as you can,” he revealed.

Slauson explained, “They give you, like, very few letters to start with, and then they kind of reduce the group down to the people they think would make the best contestants.

“They have them audition some more, and then they, you know, if you hear from them, great. And if you don’t, you don’t,” he revealed.

Slauson revealed he was the second person called when playing the first part of the audition.

“It kind of surprised me, because I don’t ever get picked first for anything,” he said.

Ryan Seacrest shares behind-the-scenes look at Wheel of Fortune with Vanna White – but fans divided over new hosting duo

“And so [the first contestant] had picked, like a letter that was in the puzzle a couple times, maybe, and I picked a letter and [the show producers], you know, lit them up, and then I bought a vowel, and they lit those up.

“I looked at it, and I said, ‘I’d like to solve the puzzle.'”

Slauson said, “Everyone kind of looked at me like, ‘What?””

“It was diamond earrings,” he continued.

Ted revealed Wheel of Fortune producers are looking for contestants who pick ‘logical letters’Credit: ABC
“I think all I had was the N, I think, the I and the N in diamond, and I had, like, blank, blank, R, R, I, N, blank, blank, so there wasn’t a lot in there to get to,” he said.

“Everyone just was like, wow. Like, they couldn’t believe I got it,” Slauson revealed before adding, “And you would think that would get me on the show.”

SECOND CHANCE

Slauson revealed that around 2015, during the Wheel of Fortune Wheelmobile, he again got picked to try out when the show visited San Antonio, Texas.

“I went to that event,” he recalled.

Slauson remembered having to do “a little 20 seconds” about himself and what he does as a career before the trial game began.

“Five of you at a time are playing the same puzzle, and it’s like the speed round where you each pick a letter and they light it up if it’s there,” he said about the fast-paced audition.

While his first audition was a piece of cake, Slauson admitted having a much harder time during his second.

“For whatever reason, I was just looking at it, and I could not figure out what it was,” he confessed.

Wheel of Fortune Host Timeline

Although Pat and Vanna have been a staple on the game show for decades, there have been other hosts

Chuck Woolery was the host from 1975 to 1981

He co-hosted alongside Susan Stafford (1975 to 1982)

Vanna White then stepped in as hostess in 1982 and has been ever since

After a contract and salary dispute, the show got rid of Chuck and brought in Pat in 1982

Pat hosted with Susan for one season

He then left the game show in 1989 to host a late-night talk show for CBS

For five months, NFL player Rolf Benirschke took his place

In July 1989, Bob Goen hosted the show on CBS

He hosted for a year and a half until the show was canceled in 1991

The show was then moved to ABC with Pat and Vanna hosting for the foreseeable future

In 2023, Pat announced his retirement and Ryan Seacrest as quickly named as his replacement

Slauson revealed choosing what he thought were “logical guesses” for a puzzle that turned out to be “Frozen Yogurt.”

“The E was at the end of frozen so I figured it was something [with a] D, like boiled something,” he admitted before adding that the puzzle included, “No D.”

“The second time I picked an S, thinking, ‘Okay, well, maybe it’s a plural of something.'”

“No S,” he quipped before adding, “I’m like, serious. Now, I’m sure that has nothing to do with it.”

Slauson stated, “[Wheel of Fortune producers] are looking for people who are picking logical letters.”

“So like when I auditioned the first time, there was a guy who, when it was his turn, the first letter he picked was an A,” recalled.

The game show expert continued, “You have to pick a consonant, and so he picked B, and then I think he got a second turn and he picked C.”

“I’m like, Dude, you’re not picking letters that you would normally pick,” Slauson scolded.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Though Slauson can’t memorize prize prices the way he did with the Price is Right, he did open up about his puzzle-solving strategy for the Wheel of Fortune.

“I find with Wheel of Fortune, because if you watch the show a lot and you do like crossword puzzles and cryptograms and stuff that are very similar, and you start recognizing letter combinations, it’s easier to just solve puzzles quickly,” he said.

He continued, “Then, you’re not guessing letters.

Everyone just was like, wow. Like, they couldn’t believe I got it.

Ted Slauson subject of The Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much

“You’re spinning and you’re using the dollar amount times however many be of a certain kind, and you can really strategize.”

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest has taken over for longtime Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, 77.

Pat retired earlier this summer after hosting the game show for 41 seasons.

Ryan has already begun filming new episodes with co-host Vanna White, 67, ahead of the show’s September 9 Season 42 premiere.

Pat Sajak, Ryan Seacrest, and Vanna White posing on the Wheel of Fortune setCredit: Wheel of Fortune

Ryan Seacrest has taken over for Pat Sajak after the longtime host retired earlier this summerCredit: Instagram/ryanseacrest

Season 42 starring Ryan Seacrest and co-host Vanna White premieres September 9, 2024Credit: Wheel of Fortune