Wheel of Fortune season 43 episode 64 recap: Contestants battle through festive toss-ups and holiday-themed rounds on Secret Santa Week Day 4

On Thursday, December 4, 2025, season 43 episode 64 of Wheel of Fortune featured Secret Santa Week Day 4 with contestants Kari Deeks, Mark Pittman and Jaelyn Cooper competing in a series of holiday-themed puzzles and Toss-Up rounds.

Kari Deeks from Medina, Ohio, won the episode with a total of $23,921, answering the question in the title by outperforming her competitors through multiple puzzle rounds.

Deeks, who is married to Jacob and has three daughters, competed alongside Mark Pittman of Douglasville, Georgia, and Jaelyn Cooper of Houston, Texas. The episode’s featured prize was a trip to Disneyland.

Episode 64 highlights of Wheel of Fortune season 43

Toss-up rounds

The first Toss-Up was a Numbers Game category with a $1,000 prize. Mark Pittman guessed Three Strikes incorrectly, while Jaelyn Cooper solved it correctly with Three Wishes.

The second Toss-Up, valued at $2,000, had Pittman correctly solving Garland and Tinsel. The rounds established the early scores, with the contestants positioning themselves for the main game.

Main game highlights

In Round 1, the Category Before & After puzzle, Kari Deeks correctly solved The North Pole Vault for $2,400 and obtained a Wild Card.

During the Mystery Round with the WinterTime category, Mark Pittman correctly solved Getting Cozy by the Fire for $1,900, bringing his total to $3,900.

The Prize Puzzle featured the category Weather Report. Kari Deeks solved Nothing but Sunshine, winning a Disney Wish Cruise valued at $13,171, increasing her total to $19,921.

The Triple Toss-Up round included the category Rhyme Time. Kari Deeks correctly solved the first puzzle, Responsibility, raising her total to $21,921.

Mark Pittman solved the second puzzle, Dependability, for a total of $5,900.

The third puzzle was answered incorrectly by Jaelyn Cooper with Immobility, while Kari Deeks correctly solved Invisibility, bringing her total to $23,921.

In the Final Spin, the constants were valued at $1,650. Jaelyn Cooper solved Happy Carolers for $4,950, finishing with a total of $5,950. Mark Pittman concluded the episode with $5,900.

Bonus round

Kari Deeks chose the category Phrase for the Bonus Round puzzle. Her puzzle, displayed as _ERL AM__T___S, started with the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E.

She chose H, D, M, and A for her additional letters. Despite the selections, she did not solve the puzzle, which was Overly Ambitious.

Winning the Bonus Round would have added $40,000 to her total, potentially increasing it to $63,921. Her husband, Jacob, was present in the audience during the round.

Kari Deeks discussed her journey to the show on the podcast SHEnanigans in June 2025. She explained,

"Wheel of Fortune has gotten me in this chokehold. I have sent audition tapes for this show multiple times, and I’ve never gotten any response."

She added that she finally auditioned with a simple video in her backyard and was contacted by a producer a month later.

After the episode aired, Deeks shared her experience on Facebook, stating,

"My fun fact for today is that this was genuinely one of the best experiences and blew away my expectations. It was something I wanted and something that I made happen.

After the episode aired, Deeks shared her experience on social media, explaining that appearing on Wheel of Fortune was a personal achievement she had made happen.

She described herself as an example of the old cliche of persistence, emphasizing that if someone wants something, they should pursue it because, no matter how unlikely it may seem, it could "happen."

Stay tuned for more updates.