Warner Robins woman, friend win thousands on 'Wheel of Fortune'
A Houston County woman spun her way to victory Wednesday night on national TV.
Jan Morton, of Warner Robins, and her friend Jan Leary, of Atlanta, competed as a team on "Wheel of Fortune." The duo won a total of about $54,000 in cash and prizes.
The pair flew to Culver City, California, for filming on Jan. 8. Originally scheduled to make the trip in January 2014, Morton and Leary couldn't catch their flights in Atlanta because of a snowstorm. Morton said the producers kept them in mind and made sure they got another chance to appear on the show.
Morton and her husband, Gary, stayed tight-lipped about the show's outcome for a month, and their friends and family learned the outcome with the rest of the country Wednesday when the show aired.
"I'm not good at keeping happy secrets. That's the biggest miracle, that I didn't tell (anyone I won)," Jan Morton said. "That's bigger than me winning. It was so much fun. I'm so glad I finally get to talk about it."
About 15 guests watched the episode with the Mortons at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan and Erin Morton, in Bonaire. They celebrated the win with a "Wheel of Fortune"-themed cake.
While the show was on, Jan Morton sat with two of her grandchildren, Jackson, 5, and Emery, 3, on a loveseat to watch. The rest of her friends and family gathered around her on couches, chairs and the floor. The group waved hand-held decorations featuring Jan Morton's picture atop a colorful wheel. They cheered as "Team Jan" picked the right letters and solved puzzles, and as other teams landed on the "bankrupt" space on the wheel.
The episode was one of this week's "Girlfriend Getaways"-themed shows, all featuring women teams. "Team Jan" won $9,500 from puzzles and $33,000 in the bonus round along with each winning a trip for two to Belize.
"I think I'll remember all the positives, all the good from (this experience). Of course, I'll remember winning. I'm pretty competitive," Jan Morton said. "I wanted to win, but I never really thought about the money."
This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 9:19 PM with the headline "Warner Robins woman, friend win thousands on 'Wheel of Fortune' ."