Mendota Heights' Andi Brenne Wins Big on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Every weeknight at 6:30 p.m. is a big occasion in the Brenne household; “Wheel!” the family calls out to announce that their favorite TV show, “Wheel of Fortune,” is about to air. So when Andi Brenne—wife and mother of two daughters, ages 2 and 4—and a girlfriend attended two "Wheelmobile" auditions at the Grand Casinos in Hinckley and Mille Lacs for the program, the stage was set for one of Brenne’s greatest dreams to come true when she was later chosen to be a contestant.

Brenne’s "Wheel of Fortune" episode was taped last February. As we Brenne was accompanied on the trip to Hollywood with her parents and a close friend, with everyone in attendance staying mum on the results. But on Tuesday night, the secrets were revealed when the episode aired.

Brenne ruled on the show as she solved three puzzles, and moved on to the bonus round. Andi's close friend Kat Spitznagle, who organized her viewing party on Tuesday, hosting with 91 guests, said she was not  at all surprised that she did that well.

"Andi is just a really smart girl. I thought the only way she wouldn't do well is if she ran into bad luck. But I think we were all amazed at just how well she did," Spitznagle said. "You know when you see the show and there is that one person who schooled everyone else, and had to apologize to the other contestants? I told Andi that she was that contestant!"

On the episode, Brenne looked sharp in the pink outfit her sister helped her choose, and seemed confident as she chatted with Pat Sajak, spinning the wheel with enthusiasm, confidently calling out her letters,  and figuring out some tough word puzzles. At one point, the camera panned over to show Brenne's beaming parents and friend, Jennifer.

Brenne's mother, Jan Resch, was thrilled that her daughter had such a great experience.

"This has been one of the highlights of her life, no question," Resch said.

Resch said it was interesting to watch the show on TV, especially after attending the taping; so intent was their focus on Andi, they couldn't remember the phases to the puzzles she solved.

"When she won the first the first $5000, we thought that makes this worthwhile enough, then we just couldn't believe how she dominated all the puzzles," said Resch.

In total, Brenne's cash and prizes totalled a whopping $39,900, including trips to  Orlando and Puerto Rico.

"I was praying while she was out doing the taping, specifially that the Lord would bless them with a trip," Spitznagle said. "I have never known Andi and her husband to go on a trip. Then she won two trips!"

Brenne's excitement was evident as her winnings piled up. She took it in stride when she spun a "bankrupt," and did her best to solve the puzzle in the bonus round, with the unfortunate luck of having very few letters to work with, with even Pat Sajak declaring the puzzle next to impossible to solve.

One personal touch of the episode was watching Sajak hold Brenne’s hand as he walked her over to the bonus round. When asked about this moment, Brenne shared a little behind-the-scenes scoop.

“They ask everyone first if it's  OK for him to hold your hand. I said, ‘Sure!,’ but some people must not like that,” she laughed.

Brenne admitted that despite her calm demeanor, she was quite nervous, and feared those jitters might show in the broadcast.

“I thought it might be awkward, but it turned out better than I thought,” she said.

Much of her confidence came from hard work: Brenne studied hard before the show, playing the "Wheel of Fortune" Facebook application daily, and consulting with experts on the statisical frequency of the letters appearing in puzzles.

The entire experience has been nothing but positive for Brenne.

“I was overwhelmed with all of the support of my family and friends, all the comments on Facebook. I was touched by everyone’s encouragement and kindness,” she said.

Brenne and her husband plan on traveling to Puerto Rico later this year, and want to include their girls on the trip to Orlando, which they hope to take in the spring. With the cash prizes, the couple plan on doing some home improvements, as well as donating money to their church, and contributing to their savings.

"Andi has watched 'Wheel of Fortune' for as long as I can remember, and for her to be on the show is absolutely a dream come true," Resch said. "In our wildest imaginations, we would have never pictured her really doing this, and she is just such a deserving person. I really am so happy for her and her family."