Local grandson and grandmother duo take on Wheel of Fortune
Photo: Braylon Hall and Karla Lance appeared on the television show Wheel of Fortune. (Courtesy photo)
By Bailee Harris
Braylon Hall of Hernando, along with his grandmother, Karla Lance of Horn Lake, had an exciting visit to Los Angeles in March to participate on Wheel of Fortune.
Braylon attends DeSoto Central Middle School and is involved in a plethora of sports and activities: football, baseball, basketball, track, powerlifting, Beta Club, chess, and knowledge bowl.
Karla, an avid fan of Wheel of Fortune, had always dreamed of being on the show. She stated, “It’s on my T.V. every single day, Monday through Friday.”
As Braylon is Karla’s first grandchild, their bond is particularly strong. Karla recalled taking care of Braylon as a baby and driving him to school every day.
“We are close, but we do butt heads some as he’s gotten older,” Karla admitted with a laugh.
In preparation for the big day, the pair practiced doing puzzles and other brain games to sharpen their skills. Braylon, the youngest contestant featured on this episode, and Karla demonstrated remarkable teamwork despite the age gap.
Braylon stated, “We were the only ones who got the category of ‘things’ right in a year.”
Their hard work paid off when they won their episode, taking home $51,649 and a trip to Italy, which they will take in October.
Keeping their victory a secret until the episode aired was challenging but exciting.
“I had to keep it a secret, but as soon as the episode aired, everybody said, ‘hey, can I borrow some money?’” Braylon laughed, “I kept getting crowded around and everybody was like ‘is that the guy from Wheel of Fortune?’ as a joke.”
Braylon received overwhelming support from his peers, and the duo was praised by the entire community.
Karla shared her experience on the set, stating, “The whole crew was super nice; they try to answer and help you in any way they can.”
Beyond the show, the trip to California was an adventure in itself.
“We went to the ocean and Santa Monica Pier,” Karla stated. “We watched some dancing and did a car show. It’s nice to visit, but give me Mississippi anytime.”
Braylon added to the excitement, stating, “California was a great experience. I loved it.”
This wasn’t Karla’s first brush with game show fame. Along with her husband, she has participated on and viewed several television game shows live, including The Price is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, American Idol, and The Masked Singer.
Now, with Wheel of Fortune added to this impressive list, who knows what’s next for this DeSoto County duo?
