Greg Sullivan| Special to The Herald News
Nate Eleuterio knows it's coming. For the next two or three months – OK, perhaps two or three years – he's going to be asked again and again if he wants to buy a vowel.
It comes with the territory this self-proclaimed game show nerd was thrilled beyond belief to explore this past summer. In what was largely a secret mission until he posted on Facebook last week, Eleuterio, 36, was a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune."
Pat Sajak. Vanna White. The mystery phrases. The wheel. The spinning and clapping. One very cool and nerve-wracking and exciting 12 hours at Sony Studios in Culver City, California.
“One of the coolest days of my life,” the Dighton resident and sixth-grade math teacher at Freetown-Lakeville Middle School said.
Also a real estate agent and the boys' tennis coach at Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville, Eleuterio for the last week has been answering the big question: did he win? “I tell them, watch on the 11th,” he said.
When is the Wheel of Fortune episode with Nate Eleuterio airing?
The show is scheduled to air this Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. on NBC.
"Wheel of Fortune," of course, doesn't want contestants playing spoiler by revealing show's outcomes. But Eleuterio, a Somerset High School graduate, was allowed to speak about just about every other aspect of his second major game show appearance. In 2006, he joined his cousins as part of the “Lopes Crew” on "Family Feud."
"Wheel of Fortune" encouraged him to promote his appearance a week ahead of the broadcast, even providing the photo he shared on Facebook.
A fine tennis player at Somerset High School and a member of the school's athletics hall of fame, Eleuterio did not have much time to return serve this past summer when "Wheel Of Fortune," following a trio of Zoom auditions, offered him a spot on the show.
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Eleuterio said he was at a weekend golf trip at Foxwoods when the confirmation email came. His show would record on the following Friday. Married and the father of three – son age 6, twins (boy and girl) age 4 – Eleuterio had a family vacation on Cape Cod scheduled to start on the Saturday after recording. “I was like, 'Holy crap,'” he said.
His wife, Kristy, said "go." He went.
Unlike with "Family Feud," which paid for flight and accommodations, WOF offers no money up front. But, Eleuterio said, the show guarantees a minimum of $1,000 to each contestant. That took care of flight and hotel. He flew out Thursday and came back home on a Friday red eye.
He stayed at a hotel the show recommended and joined several other WOF contestants – conspicuous as well dressed in the lobby at 6 a.m. – for an Uber ride to Sony Studios where WOF would tape six shows on that Friday. The contestant group of 21 included three alternates. Eleuterio said he made sure he was no alternate before agreeing to head west.
He said WOF told him that “Unless you start throwing up on stage, we'll get you out there.”
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What was it like filming 'Wheel of Fortune'?
His WOF day lasted roughly from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eleuterio said he was not able to immediately go into the WOF studio but was sent to a dream holding area – the empty "Jeopardy" studio next door. “For a game show nerd like me, I was geeking out the whole time,” he said.
Once ushered into the "Wheel of Fortune" studio, Eleuterio said, contestants got to take some batting practice – spinning the famous wheel. He said the wheel is both smaller and heavier than he anticipated, requiring some “umph” to spin.
During wheel practice time, Eleuterio said, he heard someone say, “Hey guys.” Thinking it was the director or another production person, Eleuterio looked up to see co-host Vanna White, in sweats, her hair in a ponytail.
“She was super cool,” Eleuterio said. “She gave us tips, told us to enjoy our day.”
His next Vanna sighting was of the glamorous letter turner. “She transferred herself real good,” he added.
Eleuterio said his episode contestants did not get to see Sajak until show time. He described the legendary host as friendly, engaging, easy to talk to.
'Wheel of Fortune' or 'Family Feud'?
Eleuterio said that both "Family Feud" and "Wheel of Fortune" were incredible experiences, but WOF, especially with Sajak in his announced last season, was “so much more surreal.”
So much so that the contestant from Dighton lacks total recall. Or anything close to it. He said he was excited at first arriving at Sony Studios and then felt the nerves once show time approached, and loosened up after the first round or two.
Eleuterio said Wednesday's show broadcast will be very enlightening to him as well as to most of the rest of the WOF world.
“I don't remember even one puzzle,” he said. “It's like I blacked out. Like an out-of-body experience. I'm a little nervous. You never know what you'll do or say. Hopefully nothing embarrassing.”
What do you wear to be on 'Wheel of Fortune'?
For wardrobe, he said, WOF recommends business casual, says no to white or red (background issue), and discourages jeans; still, one of his fellow spinners wore jeans. Eleuterio said that while he ran his game outfit by his wife, he picked out his own clothes “like a big boy.”
Interestingly, Eleuterio almost botched his chance at WOF fame and possible fortune. He first applied (sending a short video) with an email account he rarely uses. Bad move. By the time he revisited the account and found WOF's invitation to audition, the deadline had passed. He quickly re-applied, with a different email and different video, and was again invited to audition.
As a teacher, coach and real estate agent, Eleuterio is well served by his admitted love of talking. He suspects that helped him get to and through the WOF audition stage. He said he also made it to the third round for "Password," hosted by Jimmy Fallon, before the writers strike stopped that.
Eleuterio said his ultimate TV goal is to get on reality show "Big Brother," a three-month commitment. That would require spousal and work approval.
“That would be an interesting conversation,” he said, “because it’s hard to leave the family for that long for sure. I’m not even 100% sure I would do it, but I would love to have to make that decision.”
