More News

The turkey is usually the centerpiece of conversation on Thanksgiving, but in Sam Stewart's family, all eyes will be on him.

The Landover man's family will gather around the television set Thanksgiving Day to see Stewart compete on the show "Wheel of Fortune." The episode featuring Stewart will air at 7 p.m. tonight on WJLA Channel 7.

Co-hosted by Severna Park native Pat Sajak and Vanna White, "Wheel of Fortune" is a word puzzle game show where contestants fill in the blank letters on a digital screen to guess words or phrases and spin a wheel where a marker could land on a cash prize, paid vacation or a bankrupt slot.

Contestants were not allowed to disclose the outcome of the show prior to the show's air date, said Ani Amirkhanian, a "Wheel of Fortune" spokeswoman.

Stewart, 31, an administrative assistant for an engineering contracting company, said he has watched "Wheel" since childhood and currently watches three to four times a week.

"My mom was always a big fan," Stewart said. "I just grew up watching it with her and just have always been a big fan of it."

After years of shouting out answers at the TV, Stewart decided he had just as much of a shot as anyone to become a contestant. He filled out an application in April through the official "Wheel" Web site and was invited in May to audition with more than 100 other hopefuls in Dulles, Va.

Stewart, also a Scrabble enthusiast, completed a series of word puzzles before he and potential contestants were broken into groups for mock competition using a fake wheel. After a brief interview and photo shoot, Stewart was among 25 people chosen for consideration.

To his surprise, a phone call came in August that he would be a show contestant. He flew Aug. 20 to Los Angeles, and the show was taped Aug. 21 at Sony Pictures Studios.

The news floored his mother, a longtime fan of the show, he said.

"You would have thought that I was selected for president or something," Stewart said.

Stewart is no stranger to Los Angeles. Wanting a change of scenery, he moved to the city at 19 to live with his cousin, and because of his proximity attended tapings for other shows such as the sitcom "Moesha" starring actress and singer Brandy.

Stewart paid for his own hotel fare and lodging, but contestants are guaranteed $1,000 each just for being a contestant, he said.

After a free breakfast, White — who usually wears formal gowns on the show — greeted contestants in a T-shirt and shorts and told them to not be nervous, Stewart said. Stewart said he did not meet Sajak until the taping began.

Sajak chatted with contestants during the commercial breaks, and after introductions said, "OK, so now you got past the hard part, let's have some fun. Who wants to win big?" Stewart recalled.

"He's a lot shorter in person than he appears on TV," Stewart said. "His eyes are blue like water. It doesn't look like that on TV. It's crazy to be in front of these people to actually see them in person."

Sajak's appearance was not the only surprise. Everything Stewart thought was gigantic as a spectator in his living room was dwarfed in reality, even the wheel, he said.

But the wheel, though small in size, was difficult to maneuver, Stewart said. He said he and his fellow contestants needed coaching on which spikes to grab to give it a lengthy spin.

"The wheel is quite heavy," Stewart said. "That's why they say [to] give it a really hard push."

One of Stewart's strategies was determining which vowels to buy based on the word endings, such as buying the vowel "I" if a phrase ends with letters "N" and "G."

"That was like the main strategy, using common sense," Stewart said. "In some words, you just know it's a given. You just know what vowels to plug in after selecting a certain amount of consonants."

Stewart said he would love to return to Los Angeles and spin the wheel again.

"I would do it again," Stewart said. "I would do any game show again."

E-mail Natalie McGill at nmcgill@gazette.net.