A standout moment unfolded on Wheel of Fortune when Connecticut contestant Christina Derevjanik captured one of the show’s most elusive prizes: $1 million. Her achievement places her among a very small circle of players in the program’s decades-long history to reach the seven-figure milestone. Calm, quick-thinking, and visibly focused, she navigated the game with remarkable poise from start to finish.
During regular gameplay, Derevjanik secured the coveted Million Dollar Wedge and managed to protect it through the remainder of the rounds—no small feat given the unpredictability of the wheel. Before heading into the bonus round, she joked that she might be handing in her notice at her marketing job if fortune favored her. What followed turned that lighthearted comment into a real possibility. With the category set as “Living Things,” the board revealed the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. She then selected M, C, F, and A, revealing just enough to piece the puzzle together.
As the countdown began, she swiftly delivered the correct answer: “Pack of coyotes.” The response came confidently and without hesitation. Host Ryan Seacrest opened the prize envelope, and the result was electric. Confetti filled the studio as Derevjanik jumped in disbelief, overcome with emotion. She shared celebratory embraces with Seacrest and longtime co-host Vanna White, marking a television moment that viewers won’t soon forget.
Her total for the evening reached $1,035,155, making it one of the largest payouts in the show’s history and the first million-dollar win during Seacrest’s tenure as host. Derevjanik later shared that she plans to use the prize money to pay off student loans, purchase a home, and clear outstanding debt. Fans quickly took to social media to applaud her composure and strategy under pressure. In a show built on letters and luck, her victory stands as a rare and unforgettable triumph.