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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant dubbed 'best ever' after his instant $67,000 winning move

Pat Sajak was left speechless.

Wheel of Fortune/Youtube

Imagine winning that much money in milliseconds.

Over its decades-long syndication run, “Wheel of Fortune” has given audiences their fair share of epic wins (not to mention royally embarrassing misses). But regardless, seeing someone effortlessly wordsmith their way into winning big money never gets old.

And this big win came in a matter of milliseconds.

Alex Harrell, a father from Stafford, Virginia, who has served over nine years in the Marine Corps as an Osprey pilot, had already dominated the episode—racking up $27,105, a cruise and a trip to Aruba, per TV Insider.


This brought the young Marine to the Bonus round, where he selected the “Food and Drink” category and the letters “H, G, P and O.”

Up on the two-word puzzle screen, “T _ P _ O _ _ / P _ _ _ _ N G” appeared.

Before Pat Sajak is even able to say “if you need more time,” Harrell had his answer.

“Tapioca Pudding.”

Shaking his head in astonishment, Sajak opened the envelope to reveal Harrel won an additional $40,000, which gave him an overall total of $67,150, plus his trips.

“Way to go, Alex. Best contestant ever tonight!” wrote one viewer on YouTube.

Another added, “intense bonus round, he rocked it.”

Folks on X shared a similar sentiment.

One person wrote, “WOW!! Alex did Excellent!!! That’s the way we like it…and thank you for your service.”

Another seconded, “I'm assuming he's gonna go back to the Hyatt and roll around in the bed with all that dough.”

Now one has to wonder…does Harrell have a knack for words? Or is he just that big a fan of pudding? Either way, it paid off.

Watch his iconic win below:

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Conan O'Brien's return to the 'Tonight Show' marked as a triumph among viewers

"This hit me right in the feels."

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"/Youtube

Coco is back, baby.

Conan O’Brien had a blink-and-you-missed-it run as “Tonight Show” host. After only a year, he was unceremoniously laid off in 2010 by NBC due to a contractual dispute and replaced by former host Jay Leno, followed by Jimmy Fallon in 2014.

But despite his short-lived reign, O’Brien cemented himself as a wickedly funny and whip smart performer, as well as a master of recurring gags, self-deprecating humor and engaging conversation…not to mention developing a reputation for being a pretty great guy off the air.

Which is why fans were excited to see O’Brien appear as a “Tonight Show” guest for Tuesday’s episode, marking a return to his old stomping grounds for the first time in 14 years. And let’s just say…O’Brien’s comeback did not disappoint.

During parts of the interview, O’Brien exuded that same amount of candid poise that he famously maintained throughout the 2010 controversy. Like when he talked about podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” the project that followed his “Tonight Show” exit, he said he still considered hosting a late-night show “the best job in the world,” but shared his appreciation for the podcast format since it allows for longer, more in-depth conversations with guests.

But along with all the sentimentality were trademark rapid fire zingers and absurdly dramatic outbursts, especially when talking about how “weird” it felt to be back at Rockefeller Center.

"I was here for 16 years doing the ‘Late Night’ show," O'Brien told Jimmy Fallon (both “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” filmed in the same building.

"When someone else is in your studio it feels weird. So I walked in and said, 'Who's in my old studio?' And they said 'Kelly Clarkson'. And I love Kelly Clarkson, who doesn't love Kelly Clarkson? But still I felt like, IT'S NOT RIGHT! BLASPHEMY! THEY SHOULD HAVE BURNED IT TO THE GROUND!"

"And then Kelly came out to say hi and I said, DON'T TALK TO ME! YOU MAKE ME SICK!!"

Man, O'Brien really knows how to commit to the bit. Watch:

O’Brien’s interview was so well received that fans seemed to fall in love with him all over again.

“Conan returns to the Tonight Show in TRIUMPHHH being one of the greatest of all time.”

“Conan is going down in history as one of the greatest to ever do it!”

“Conan's career is a true testament to the saying ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”

“This hit me right in the feels.”

“The man's a national treasure, give him everything.”

If you’re left wanting even more Coco, O’Brien has a new series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which debuts on April 18 on Max. Talk about a full circle moment.

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Kristen Wiig plays a cult leader pilates coach in an epic 'SNL' return

Kristen Wiig made an epic return to “Saturday Night Live” this week

Saturday Night Live/Youtube

A creepy slowed down version of Megan Thee Stallion's "Body" was a fabulous touch.

Kristen Wiig made an epic return to “Saturday Night Live” this week, and along with bringing back her iconic “Aunt Linda” character, she might have created a whole new fan favorite.

In a horror trailer reminiscent of an A24 film, Chloe Fineman and Molly Kearney work up the courage to take their first pilates class. They enter an eerily dark purple room where Wiig, playing a cult-leader Pilates instructor with a fondness for weird pet names, gives them the scariest workout of their life.

Now, look, pilates is a great form of exercise, with proven benefits for flexibility, core strength and posture. But when it comes to most pilates studios, there’s a certain…vibe. In a word, it’s intense. Anyone who’s been to a class can probably say they have a whole new relationship to discomfort.

And this sketch, along with Wiig’s performance, totally nailed all the typical pilates experience—from the intimidating reformer machines that look like they’re”designed for torture… but somehow, also sex,” to the mind boggling instructions during class (“take those ankle straps around your waist and your knee straps around your head!”) to the unbearable consequence of forgetting your special sticky socks. May god help you.

In fact, it got the seal of approval from bonafide Pilates regulars.

“As a person who has been doing pilates for over 5 years, this is 100% accurate lmao,” one viewer on Youtube wrote.

Another added, "I've done Pilates classes, and this made me laugh so hard because it's all true!"

Even a staff member for a pilates studio chimed in, saying “I work the front desk at a Pilates studio and this is perfectly accurate. I laughed so hard!”

Watch “a chilling new look at girl horror” below:

And don't forget: embrace the shake!!!

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Ramy Youssef perfectly walked the tightrope of religion, politics and humor in SNL monologue

Genuine, skillful, heartfelt and funny—a very impressive feat.

MPAC National/Wikimedia Commons

Ramy Youssef at the 2017 MPAC Media Awards

Actor and comedian Ramy Youssef pulled off an incredible feat in his March 30, 2024 Saturday Night Live appearance, mixing religion, politics and humor in a way that disarmed and united people. Some people are calling it one of the best SNL monologues ever, and it's genuinely impressive to watch.

How often have you seen someone manage to talk about religion, prayer, the upcoming election, and something like the bombardment of Palestine in a way that isn't offensive, obnoxious, or overwrought and that's also funny? Never, right?

Youssef somehow did all of that in an 8-minute stand-up comedy routine that was equal parts warm, genuine, heartfelt and humorous.

He started off talking about it being a holy weekend, with Ramadan, Easter and Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" album dropping. "There's just so many religions celebrating at once," he quipped. "I'm doing the Ramadan one," he added.

Youssef is a Muslim and he shared that one of the things people don't always know about Muslims is how loving they are. After some giggle-worthy examples, he pointed out that there's "all this division, but it's not where you think it is." He spoke about his fear as a Muslim who speaks Arabic in rural upstate New York, yet made it funny. He referenced the Biden campaign in a way that poked fun of identity politics. He celebrated the idea of having a transgender woman president, but what really got people talking was how he ended his monologue.

To wrap it up, he took a more serious—and yet still somehow funny—turn towards prayer for the suffering of the people of Palestine, the hostages in both Palestine and Israel along with his friend's divorce and dog. It's truly a masterclass delivering meaningful commentary with smart, relatable humor.

Watch:

People on YouTube are raving about it.

"Ramy proving you can be irreverent and funny while also spreading love instead of hate," wrote one commenter.

"Ya know.... comedy about religion is touchy.... and he nailed it. Nice work, sir," wrote another.

"Gave me chills. The silence when people realized the depth...and Ramy's generosity in bringing us back with Mr. Bojangles...*perfection*," shared another.

"I have nothing but heart emojis for this man," shared another.

Some people said the monologue brought tears to their eyes. Others remarked at how impressive it was that he covered so many topics that would normally have people gunning for him, but his endearing manner and calm, tactful delivery tempered negative reactions to those topics.

Youssef played a role in the Oscar-nominated "Poor Things" film and had an award-winning special on Hulu, but many SNL watchers still weren't familiar with him. "Don’t know who that guy is, but he performed like standup like a vet. Very impressive. Congrats to him," wrote one person. "No idea who this kid is but I'm impressed.. owning that stage is no small feat. Kid did great," wrote another. (Youssef is 33, so not really a kid by most measurements, but still.)

It's a very narrow line to walk to successfully pull off either religious or political humor, especially in a time of high tensions, so the fact that he nailed both with near flawless balance is really something.

You can follow Ramy Youssef on Instagram.


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