Matt Malagiere came within one answer of a six-figure payday on Wheel of Fortune and left with $13,300 after missing the Bonus Round puzzle Auto Body Shop. The envelope held $100,000, and Ryan Seacrest reacted with a handshake and a hug after the loss.
The miss landed hard because Malagiere had already fought back from a Bankrupt and built his way to a strong finish. He solved Parking Space Invaders to reach $9,650, then won the Triple Toss-Up and cracked the final puzzle to push his total to $13,300 before the Bonus Round began.
That made the last puzzle even more painful. Malagiere got R, S, T, L, N and E, then chose H, D, M and A, but the board still read Auto Body Shop and the $100,000 prize stayed out of reach. Seacrest moved in afterward and told him, “Nice to meet you and the family,” before offering the hug.
Malagiere, who is from Howell, New Jersey, also drew attention earlier when he told Seacrest he was a longtime New York Giants season-ticket holder. He joked that the tailgate menu changes with the visiting team, saying that for New Orleans it would be something like a jambalaya, and adding, “We gotta make giant shrimp cocktail, obviously.”
The episode also featured Katie Henkenius and Stacey Colson, with Henkenius finishing with $12,430 after winning a trip to St. Maarten through the Prize Puzzle and Colson ending the Second Round with $2,000. The source does not provide the episode date, but the result is clear: Malagiere kept his $13,300 and walked away one guess short of a life-changing prize.
