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On the May 18th, 2021 Wheel of Fortune, Chris Newman, raised in Red Wing, Minnesota, and now living in Hawthorne, California, won $20,700...and he had to beat cancer to do it.

Chris spinning the wheel for the first time on the show. (Wheel of Fortune)
Chris spinning the wheel for the first time on the show. (Wheel of Fortune)
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That sounds like the beginning of a romance novel, but it really happened to the Minnesota native. According to a story in the Post Bulletin, Newman had twice auditioned for the show, and both time failed to make it on after...

a) Not smiling enough
ii) Calling out a letter already on the board.

(Wheel of Fortune)
(Wheel of Fortune)
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He tried again and this time he included his story about being in remission from Stage 4 melanoma. The cancer was diagnosed in 2018, he went into remission later that year and has been in remission since. Awesome on it's own.

(Wheel of Fortune)
(Wheel of Fortune)
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That seemed to do the trick, and on the show, Chris came in second place, winning $20,700!

(Wheel of Fortune)
(Wheel of Fortune)
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See the whole show, including Christ going bankrupt but comin' back strong!

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

Listen to James Rabe and Jessica Williams 6a to 10a on Y-105 FM's Early Morning Show.

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