One “Wheel of Fortune” contestant became an instant fan-favorite on Tuesday, all because of what host Pat Sajak described as her “hysterically happy” attitude.
Los Angeles native Diana Hawkins, a data analyst for a local school district, proved to not only be a winning “Wheel” contestant, but also an expert at making people smile.
“You look happy to be here,” Sajak told her. “Like, almost hysterically happy to be here.”
“I am happy to be here!” Hawkins replied, flashing a mega-watt smile and nodding her head enthusiastically.
Hawkins went on to happily describe her four children, and noted that she takes 10,000 steps a day, no matter what.
“One thing I’m not going to have to say is, ‘Can you speed it up, Diana?’” Sajak joked.
Hawkins played extremely well, earning $19,850 in regulation play. She then moved ahead to the bonus puzzle, which she very quickly identified as, “It was a major victory,” earning herself another $38,000. Her total winnings on Tuesday were $57,850, plus a trip to Puerto Rico.
At the end of the episode, Sajak commended her by saying, “You know, and it’s a tricky business, because sometimes someone will have a lot of enthusiasm but it kind of gets away in the game playing, but she seemed to feed into that. She played very well.”
Fans were blown away by both Hawkins’ talent and charm, with one Twitter user calling her the “best #Wheel contestant ever.”
Watch the official “Wheel of Fortune” highlight reel from her episode and see some more glowing fan reactions below.
Watch out, Wheel Watchers—here comes Diana! 💃 See all the best moments of her game and her MAJOR VICTORY! ✌️ @ABC7 #WheelOfFortune pic.twitter.com/6OPLtxEpqY
— Wheel of Fortune (@WheelofFortune) December 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/CamJunior1972/status/1339008007011700737
Can we get Diana as the new host of Jeopardy? #WheelOfFortune
— Chad Shaft (@ChadShaft) December 16, 2020
#Diana on #WheelOfFortune is so what the world needs tonight
— Deirdre Smith (@Deirdre926) December 16, 2020
Diana is among the greatest contestants ever. #WheelOfFortune
— Michael Stone (@Michael__Stone) December 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/jaymax/status/1339001402962612225