CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Autumn Martin of Sissonville doesn’t watch TV. She said most who know her realize TV is not a high priority in her life, with one exception.
“The one show I watch every single day is Wheel of Fortune from 7:00 to 7:30. Every day I’m locked in. It’s always been my favorite show,” she said.
This week she got to be on the other side of the TV screen and instead of being a home viewer, became a show player, and play she did. Martin walked away as the champion of the night, winning the early rounds and then also claiming the bonus round when she solved the question of “What am I doing” with the puzzle answer, “Beaming.”
“I watch Wheel of Fortune every day and I try to solve the puzzles and get them before the contestants on the show. I’m pretty good at it. I’ll say the puzzle and three minutes later they’ll solve it. I’ve always just been really good at the processing part and plugging letters in,” she explained.
Martin said she actually applied to be on Wheel of Fortune in December 2024 and had a Zoom audition in January 2025. She said she was told if she didn’t hear back for a year, she was not selected and could reapply. She never heard back and assumed she didn’t get selected. During the meantime, life happened and her beloved grandmother fell ill. Autumn was busy caring for her and couldn’t consider applying a second time. Sadly, her grandmother died July 17th. July 20th, she got an email saying she had been selected to be on the show.
“I had also torn my Achilles heal and I was having a pity-party for myself and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh!!'” she explained.
The visit to the show started at 6:30 a.m. with a long conversation with the show’s attorneys, rehearsals of how to spin the wheel and what to say in the bio question from host Ryan Seacrest. She was with several other contestants since six episodes were shot during the day she was there. Autumn was on the first show of the day. She cleaned out the competition rounds and made it to the bonus round. There, during the break, she finally got her only chance to exchange a few words with Seacrest.
“He was going to go back stage and call Lance Bass of NSYNC to let me talk to him since I’m a huge fan and he was my first crush, but Lance was busy,” she laughed.
Contestants never got to meet Seacrest or Vanna White, other than during the show. Although Vanna wished them all good luck during rehearsal when she walked by and waved.
Autumn won the show and the bonus round bringing home $66,000 and a trip to Thailand as her prize.
“It was great form start to finish and you never know what you’re going to get in Hollywood. So, I was really thankful that my favorite show left me with such a great experience,” she said.