Community Corner

Laguna Niguel Woman Wins $1 Million on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Autumn Erhard, 30, is only the second contestant in the history of the game show to win the $1 million grand prize.

A Laguna Niguel woman can now buy a lot of vowels – and a lot of anything – after winning $1 million on the game show "Wheel of Fortune," which aired Thursday.

Autumn Erhard, 30, took only seconds to guess "Tough Workout," in the final round, after being given only the Ts and R. With her supplemental picks, she guessed M-C-P and A, which didn't give her any more letters.

But the key, was a a wild card earned earlier in the game to add a G, which she correctly guessed. 

"I looked at the letter board for a quick second, and within seconds it just popped into my head," she told the Orange County Register

The Laguna Niguel resident is only the second contestant in the history of the game show to win the $1 million grand prize.

According to the newspaper, the $1 million wheel wedge was added in 2008. It can be earned if a player lands on the wedge during the game, solves that puzzle, and advances to the final round without going bankrupt. The $1 million prize replaces the $100,000 in the final round.

Erhard's episode was filmed more than a month ago, and she was sworn to secrecy about her winnings. 

"The first two weeks were tough. I had to say, 'I can't tell, I can't tell,'" she told the Orange County Register. "Then leading up to it, I was telling people to tune in."

The only people who knew were here parents, and her fiancee, who were both in the live studio audience. 

Erhard also cleaned up during the regular game, winning more than $30,000, plus trips to Belize and Arizona.

The former UC San Diego student told the paper she is planning on helping pay for her wedding, pay off student loans, and donate some of her winnings to charity. 


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