television

Grandmother and Grandson Win the Hearts of ‘Wheel of Fortune' Viewers With Incredible Solve

Retta Alexander and her grandson Julian Hernandez, who competed as a team, took home more than $56,000

Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images

One Mississippi grandmother earned herself a shopping spree on May 23 after solving a “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle almost immediately.

Retta Alexander, who was competing with her grandson Julian Hernandez, was presented with a letter board that read,  “_ A N C _ / _ _ _ T _ _ _ E.” The category? Place. 

“You have 10 seconds,” host Pat Sajak explained. But Alexander already had her answer.

“Fancy boutique,” she said, as the audience erupted into applause at the correct response.

Alexander and Hernandez hugged and danced around the set with plenty to celebrate: That bonus round brought their overall winnings to $56,590.

“Nice going, guys, congratulations. That was a good solve,” Sajak declared.

“One of the sweetest duos I’ve ever seen on Wheel so so happy for them!” a fan wrote on the "Wheel of Fortune" Instagram post.

Added another, “That was a great solve. So amazing. I didn’t have a clue.”

The pair’s adorable dynamic won over the hearts of viewers from the beginning of the show during introductions.

Alexander lives in Pascagoula, Mississippi, while Hernandez is based in Phoenix. At the start of the show, Alexander described herself as a “mother of three beautiful daughters,” while Hernandez shared that he is planning to attend university or trade school for jewelry and metal work. 

“We like to cook together,” Alexander told Sajak.

“And we like watching TV,” Hernandez added. 

“When ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is on, we’re calling each other each other. I’m calling him from Mississippi from Phoenix to see if he got it before I did,” Alexander said. “We’re very competitive!”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

Contact Us