A Lengthy Island lunch girl served up a big-money win on “Wheel of Fortune” that left her lapping up some $65,000 in prizes, together with a model new Toyota truck, a week-long tropical trip and a 12 months’s provide of candy treats.
Single mother Katie McCann emerged because the winner of Tuesday night time’s fittingly food-themed episode known as “Residing the Candy Life” — and he or she credit her profession as St. James Elementary Faculty cafeteria’s lead service employee for giving her an edge.
“It actually gave me the higher hand,” McCann advised The Submit whereas smiling ear to ear.
McCann, 37, nailed a formidable six puzzles with solutions like “one good cookie” and “pour some sugar on me” to earn a cool $65,253 in prizes and money.
She received a 2025 Toyota Tacoma SR5, a week-long journey to St. Croix within the U.S. Virgin Islands, a 12 months’s provide of sweets from Dylan’s Sweet Bar, and — the cherry on high — $13,200 in money.
“You’ll be able to see my face that I’m simply in shock each single time I win something. Like Ryan Seacrest stated, I don’t have a poker face in any respect,” added the champ, who “blacked out” and barely remembers any of the taping and shouting out her appropriate solutions.
One factor does stick out, although, one thing that McCann known as probably the most difficult a part of all of it — bodily spinning the wheel.
“I’m slightly girl — they needed to push me up actually excessive behind the rostrum to succeed in over, and that wheel is heavy,” stated McCann, who moved to Hauppauge from Queens 4 years in the past.
Full circle second
McCann has been a longtime lover of the primetime sport present since her personal elementary college days and even credit “Wheel of Fortune” for “serving to me to change into a greater speller.”
Destiny ran its course in 2023 when McCann, a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Training in Manhattan, noticed a business to check out for her favourite play-at-home pastime.
Community executives cherished her bubbly vitality and rapidly picked McCann for an episode, however she couldn’t get out to Los Angeles on the time.
“I needed to flip it down, after which they stated, ‘We actually want you might make it’ and put me in a pool for contestants they actually wished to deliver on,” stated McCann.
When the brass known as again final spring, she cleared her calendar this time round.
“I used to be like, ‘Completely, I’ll be there.’ I couldn’t say no twice.”
Retaining the spoils of victory tight-lipped for the months main as much as her episode’s airing was one other problem for McCann, who loves her job — she has no plans for a profession change now — and enjoys conversing along with her little prospects.
After lastly going public, the varsity exploded with help, and youngsters even made her congratulatory drawings hanging behind her workstation.
“They’ve been so cute, even those on the shyer facet have been coming as much as me,” stated McCann.
“The scholars are all so very pleased, which makes me really feel nice.”
Even her 3-year-old daughter, Brodie, retains saying “mommy, you’re a film star.”
McCann hasn’t had the possibility to journey overseas a lot and can enormously respect the upcoming “sunshine on my face” — the successful phrase that earned her the journey.
She can also be anticipating the pickup truck to reach simply as her Jeep Wrangler lease is up.
“It’s all simply been a dream come true,” McCann stated.
