Wheel of Fortune saw another impressive performance from a contestant on Monday night, but the player in question had a bit more experience than is usually allowed. Much like Jeopardy!, its syndicated game show sibling Wheel of Fortune only allows contestants to play in their regular games once. Jeopardy!, mind you, allows champions who go on long runs to return for its Tournament of Champions.
Wheel, meanwhile, is a one-and-done deal. Which is why Tony Harrison was a big exception on Monday night’s episode. Harrison appeared on an episode in 2017 and though it’s unclear exactly what happened, everyone was made aware that this wasn’t his first rodeo during player introductions.
“If Tony looks familiar, this is Tony Harrison, who’s been here before,” host Pat Sajak said. “We had a little production issue, and in the interest of fairness, we brought Tony back.”
Harrison tweeted about his appearance before it aired and seemed very excited to be back.
From a #Wheelmobile contestant search in 2017 to an encore taping at Sony Studios in 2020, it’s been quite a ride. Watch me on Wheel of Fortune, Monday, April 6th! 7:30pm Pacific Time on @ABC7 in Los Angeles. Outside of LA, check your local listings. #WheelOfFortune pic.twitter.com/uk4pr2X0rG
— Tony Harrison (@TonySCV) March 31, 2020
Tony was asked by a fan why he appeared twice on Twitter, and while he didn’t have a full answer he appreciated the show was upfront with him that he would eventually get another shot.
I really don’t know the answer to that Tony, but the show was great about staying in touch and letting me know that it was just a matter of time.
— Tony Harrison (@TonySCV) April 7, 2020
He certainly took full advantage of that shot, dominating the show and winning more than $100,000 in prizes for the effort, including a nice $45,000 payout for winning in the prize round and a trip to Barbados. Harrison was predictably thrilled, but not everyone was happy that he was given a second shot and won so big.
What kind of loophole did Tony find to get a second run at #WheelOfFortune ?
— B-dawg$$$ (@Bdawg696969) April 6, 2020
I’ve never been on Wheel of Fortune once but Tony gets to be on it twice…
— Whit (@whitl24) April 6, 2020
If those have a tinge of jealousy to them, well, you’re an astute observer. But not as astute as Tony, who certainly made the most of his second chance on Tuesday.