Minnesota 'Wheel Of Fortune' Co-Contestants Become Fast Friends
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Minnesota was well-represented in one of the first Wheel of Fortune episodes this year.
Brandon Kimbler of Blaine and Deb Tharaldson of Brooklyn Park somehow ended up on the exact same episode.
Turns out, it was by mistake.
"He said, 'Well, you know, I thought you were from Brooklyn,'" Tharaldson said. "I said, 'Oh, yeah, sure, you betcha, Brooklyn Park.'"
But the show went on.
"It became a fun rivalry," Tharaldson said. "On commercials we would duke it out."
"Pat was breaking us up," Kimbler said.
With their similar demeanors they became fast friends.
"Since the taping, I think we've talked at least once a week," Kimbler said.
"It really made it a lot more fun," Tharaldson said. "Because now you're competing with a friend. It's not somebody you're never going to see again, or who's millions of miles away."
And the icing on the cake? Kimbler pulled out a huge win, with less than a second on the clock.
Both Kimbler and Tharaldson made it on the show by auditioning at the Wheelmobile at Grand Casino.
And now they are in the running to be considered for a Grand Casino commercial.
