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Recently, Wheel Of Fortune has made headlines because of contestants who lose, usually due to some kind of strict rule, but this week one player made news not because of her enormous win but rather for what she asked for right after it.
It happened when Ilene Knebel, a city worker from Beverly Hills and mom of three, correctly solved the bonus round puzzle and became this season's first $100,000 winner. The big win triggered the show's confetti cannons, causing shredded paper to rain down on her and host Pat Sajak.
He and Vanna White tried speaking with Ilene, but she was too astounded by her win, however, after a few minutes, she was more vocal when speaking with the hosts just before the credits rolled. She revealed that she has been trying to get on the show for at least 30 years, and having made it and won, she had one request - to clean up the confetti. Pat told the audience that Ilene asked, "Where's the broom? I want to clean up." At that moment, he fulfilled her request, handed her a broom and told her to "start sweeping." She seemed hesitant but Pat urged her on saying, "Go ahead! Go for it! Go, go, go! Don't just stand there!"
Viewers were thrilled for Ilene, who has been married for over 20 years and volunteers her time mentoring Girl Scouts and delivering groceries to homebound people. They expressed their excitement on Twitter.
Ilene's total cash winnings for her appearance topped $112,000 plus she scored a trip to Mexico. No word on if she got to keep the broom though.