A Wheel of Fortune contestant captured viewers’ hearts — though not a new car — after sharing his quirky family tradition of visiting Costco for free food samples. The amusing moment aired during the May 28 episode, which also marked the end of a brief winning streak on the beloved game show.
Chris Hou, a stay-at-home dad from Encinitas, California, competed against Michelle Blunt of Houston, Texas, and Erika Hillard of Belton, Texas, in the spirited Tuesday night episode. Joined by his wife and two children, Cone and Pepper, Hou quickly won fans over with his down-to-earth charm and unorthodox parenting style.
During a lighthearted exchange with host Ryan Seacrest, Chris Hou revealed one of his go-to “adventures” with his kids: piling into the family minivan for a trip to Costco in search of free samples. “If they’re still hungry, we hit the food court for a $1.50 hot dog,” Hou said with a smile. Seacrest laughed, confessing that lobster bisque is his personal favorite sample. Hou, staying true to family tradition, said they always go for the chocolate ones.
“You sound like a blast — I want a ride in that minivan,” Seacrest joked, clearly entertained by Hou’s parenting tales.
The laughs continued as fellow contestant Michelle Blunt shared that she and her husband enjoy discovering new cities together on electric scooters. Meanwhile, Erika Hillard, the wife of a retired Army veteran she humorously nicknamed “Marcus Stewart,” surprised everyone by performing a pig sound — without even opening her mouth. According to Seacrest, Vanna White has a similar hidden talent she likes to show off backstage.
In the game itself, Michelle Blunt took an early lead by correctly solving the second toss-up puzzle, pocketing \$2,000. However, Chris Hou soon hit his stride, solving the “Crossword Instrument” puzzle and snagging a valuable Wild Card along the way. He later scored big by solving the “Mystery Puzzle” with the phrase “All-Natural Nut Butter,” bringing his total winnings to \$4,900.
Despite a setback when he lost his Wild Card during the Prize Puzzle round, Hou quickly regained momentum by hopping on the Express Wedge. He accumulated \$4,200 before solving the puzzle “Blooming Blossoms,” which earned him an unforgettable trip to Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival. The win brought his total earnings to an impressive \$25,940.
Hillard finally got on the board with one of the Triple Toss-Up puzzles, while Blunt dominated the final rounds, solving puzzles like “Take a Chance, Let’s Dance” and ending the night with \$13,450. Hillard took home \$2,000, but it was Hou who held the lead, finishing with an impressive \$25,940.
In the Bonus Round, Hou selected the category “What Are You Doing?” With the standard R, S, T, L, N, and E on the board, he chose F, D, C, and A as his additional letters. The puzzle revealed: “_ R N FR_ _ _ _ E.” Despite a few close guesses, he couldn’t come up with the correct answer — “Working From Home” — an ironic twist given his stay-at-home dad lifestyle.
