Since 1982, Jay Tope has been a big Wheel of Fortune fan. Now, he gets to live out his dream.
LYTLE, Texas — It’s the chance of a lifetime for one Lytle High School teacher and coach.
On Tuesday, Jay Tope will get to live out one of his childhood dreams, as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.
Since 1982, Jay Tope has been a big Wheel of Fortune fan.
“Watched it with my parents, always watched it,” Tope said. “Anytime I was at their house, I was like 6:30, we’re watching Wheel of Fortune.”
Tope says he always wanted to be a contestant on the show, and says as he got older, he felt like time was running out.
“So I decided I was going to go ahead and audition. 1.5 million people a year audition for this show, only 600 get chosen,” said Tope.
2 years ago, that dream almost became a reality, when he was selected for the show.
“But because that opportunity fell during a week of STAAR testing, my principal said, ‘uh-uh, no way, forget it,’” said Tope.
Tope says he felt disappointed at missing his one chance, but opportunity would come knocking again after auditioning and being selected again.
“They gave me whichever day you want, and I said, ‘it doesn’t matter, I just want to be on Wheel of Fortune,’” said Tope.
Tope flew to Culver City, California, with family in tow, and got to live out his dream, calling it surreal and an out-of-body experience.
“You’re thinking that there’s no way that I’m actually here on the show with Vanna White clicking on letters, and Ryan Seacrest, who’s one my favorite people in the world, stand right next to them talking to me,” said Tope.
Tope says the next day he woke up and thought it was all a dream.
On Tuesday, the world will get to see him live out that dream, including the Lytle community. They will be right there with him in spirit, with every consonant and vowel.
“I was in H-E-B this morning, and had somebody come up and said, ‘good luck tomorrow on Wheel of Fortune,'” Tope said. “That’s not going to happen in a big city.”
As for how Tope performed on the show, well, you’ll just have to tune in like the rest of us. The show will air at 6:30 p.m.
Tope says there will also be a watch party that happen on Thursday in Lytle at Baby Huey’s Bar, from 5 to 6 p.m. The event will celebrate what Tope did or didn’t do, on the show.