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Wheel of Fortune's $100K Winner Stuns Pat Sajak with Odd Request

  • Ilene Knebel may be Wheel of Fortune's first $100,000 Bonus Round winner of Season 39, but she's not above a bit of hard work.

    After Knebel successfully solved a puzzle under the category "Around the House," host Pat Sajak opened the golden envelope to reveal that the Los Angeles native would be going home with the Bonus Round grand prize, bringing her total winnings to $112,000 (and a trip to the Caribbean). In the episode's final moments, Knebel revealed she's been trying to get on the show for "at least 30 years," but Sajak didn't allow her earnestness to sidetrack his next gag. "The first thing she said after the confetti came down — she said, 'Where's the broom? I want to clean up,'" he recalled, before passing her her a large push broom. "Here you go. Start sweeping, Ilene! Go for it. Go, go, go! Don't just stand there."

    Knebel's odd request may have surprised Pat Sajak, but it earned her a gold star in the eyes of viewers, who declared her "precious." Congrats, Ilene!

    Wheel of Fortune airs every weeknight. To find the exact time and channel in your area, head to the show's website.

    Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.

    TOPICS: Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Game Shows