DULUTH — Ashley and Chris Walker didn’t need the 10-second countdown to solve the final puzzle on a recent episode of “Wheel of Fortune”: two words, 10 letters, category: what are you doing.
“They look just really confident to me,” longtime host Pat Sajak said on the Sweethearts Week episode that aired Feb. 12.
The couple won a total of $65,900 on the evening game show that culminated with a concept that was relatable for the duo from Grand Rapids, Minn. Chris Walker, before he solved it, took half a beat to explain their collective confidence to Sajak.
“We’re from Minnesota, so,” he said, then shouted out the game-winner: “BUNDLING UP!”
The couple, who go by “Chrashley,” — “Heck, yeah, we do,” Ashley responded when asked about the portmanteau — recorded the episode at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif., in January and had to stay quiet about the win until the episode aired. They didn’t even dare tell their daughters Kirby, 7, and Suzette, 5, who watch the show with them to work on learning letters.
“They’re talkers,” Ashley said.
Winning, Chris said, was an adrenaline rush. Ashley added it still doesn’t feel real. They celebrated with friends who were in the audience, in part, by riding scooters along Venice Beach in California.
In their regular home viewings of “Wheel of Fortune,” it became obvious that Chris is really good at solving the puzzles. His wife told him he should audition — so he did. He filled out an application, won a handful of virtual games, and said he felt like he had done well. He heard back from the show seven months later, with a twist. They wanted him to audition again, but alongside his wife.
