Spin Control Hedrick Shines Bright in the Limelight

Spin Control

Hedrick Shines Bright in the Limelight

Charles Romans

The Ashland Beacon

Chad Hedrick said his mother was from Ashland and his father was from Catlettsburg, but the whole county usually claims him. He’s grateful for that because he loves his local roots and, in all his endeavors beginning with graduating from Paul Blazer High School in 2013 to his work in news media and beyond, he has always tried to shine a light on his hometown. But Hedrick recently had an experience that took him from being the one focusing that light to having the light focused upon him.

But before the spotlight, Hedrick attended Morehead State University and studied Convergent Media. In 2014 he became an intern at the television station he watched so much growing up. This turned into a part-time job writing, shooting, and producing. Once he graduated, Hedrick said he went on-air for WSAZ. He was with that station for a little over six years, he said, and in 2021 he moved to Lexington and worked for WKYT for a little over two years. Eventually he moved on to doing business development and marketing for a national law firm, but he remembers his work in news as a wonderful point in his career.

Being in the television business for eight and a half years covering the tri-state area, Hedrick said that he always wanted to shine a light on Eastern Kentucky. Especially after moving to WKYT, where he covered all parts of Kentucky, he wanted to show the things that his hometown had to offer and the stories that affected the region. That time reporting and interviewing on air definitely eliminated Hedrick being ‘camera shy,’ but he said it still didn’t fully prepare him to be on the other side of the camera on one of the most popular game shows in television history.

“I always loved the show,” Hedrick said of his recent brush with bright lights that were trained upon him. “I remember since I was a kid that the TV was always on to WSAZ. So, you were watching Tim Irr at 6 and Tom Brokaw at 6:30. And then there was Pat and Vanna at 7,” Hedrick said.

Most people will recognize those names without any further prompting as being Pat Sajak and Vanna White, the pair who were welcomed into homes across the country via the phenomenally popular game show Wheel of Fortune. Hedrick remembers his whole family watching the show and trying to guess puzzles along with most other American families. His parents bought him board game and video game versions of the show, and it was a big part of his childhood entertainment.

All of this – both a lifetime as a viewer and being part of the news machine – might be considered preparation, Hedrick said, but it is a lot more difficult when you are the one literally in the ‘hot seat.’

“It was a lot different,” Hedrick said of his time on the show. “I remember watching it (after the fact) and wondering why did I say that or why did I do that? And the first couple of rounds it was like I was blacked out,” he said. “It was like having tunnel vision, and you realize ‘Oh crap, I’m really doing this.’ So, it took me a few minutes to get my bearings.”

The experience, he said, was both amazing and enlightening. “It has even changed the way I watch the show now. I understand more of what’s going on behind the scenes. There is a lot of pressure.”

Hedrick said that there is a standing rule he gives his friends not to call while Wheel of Fortune is on. “It’s kind of a joke with my family and friends to not call me between 7 and 7:30 or I’m just going to be yelling random letters in your ear,” Hedrick said, because ‘Wheel’ is a non-negotiable part of his weekly. One evening while he was ‘yelling letters’ at the screen, he saw a promo for being a contestant.

Being a contestant on his favorite show had always been something he considered in the back of his mind, and he said he began thinking more of it when he shifted his career away from the news business. “So, I pulled out my laptop, went online, and filled it out,” Hedrick said. A few days later he received an email for a casting call, which he attended via Zoom with a producer and some other potential contestants. This was followed by a subsequent email and then an audition. Post-audition, the producer informed him that he might hear from them in a time frame that ranged from a few days to potentially months.

“That was in December of 2024,” Hedrick said. “Then months go by, and you kind of forget you did it. But in early November of 2025, I’m sitting at work and my phone lights up with an email,” Hedrick said. “And it’s Wheel saying I have a tape day in early December.” The email surprised him, and he briefly considered things like whether his email had been hacked. “But once I determined it was legitimate, the first person I called was my mom,” Hedrick said.

“At first she didn’t believe me,” Hedrick remembered. But once he convinced her that the opportunity was in fact genuine, Hedrick said they got the ball rolling and headed to Los Angeles. The trip became a family event, he said, with his mother and sister able to go on set with him for the Bonus Round and his stepfather close in the audience. The time became a family event, he said, which only served to add layers to the amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As for the game itself, Hedrick said the wheel was surprisingly difficult to spin. He said that watching after the fact, he thought his spins were ‘pretty decent,’ but it did involve some trial and error. “I was a little concerned about that because I didn’t want to look like a wimp,” he laughed. “But my arm was sore the next day.” The entire wheel, he said, weighed in at what he thought was around 2,400 pounds, but it felt like pushing around 50 pounds, he would guess.

There were other challenges that home viewers might not realize, Hedrick said. Viewers see the show’s puzzle board directly, but contestants view it at more of an angle. “When I was in the game, I caught myself with my eyes jumping from side to side,” he said of the angle. “Because it wasn’t all in my direct line of sight. And off to the side there is the used letter board and a scoreboard,” he said. “And there’s a countdown clock because you have five seconds to make up your mind about what letter you are going to call or what’s your next move.”

“And you’ve got Ryan Seacrest off to the side talking to you and you’re trying to smile and look like you’re having fun,” Hedrick said. “I was having fun, but I was also locked in like I’m here for business. It was very overstimulating,” Hedrick laughed about the excitement.

Hedrick soldiered through the distractions and overstimulation and completed the ‘business’ he was there to accomplish, however. Letters, puzzles, and spins – not to mention coming from behind – eventually became a run at the prize puzzle, which Hedrick solved. “I don’t know why, but I immediately thought ‘Catch-22.’” The answer was correct and led to Hedrick winning the game, and probably the only time ‘Catch-22’ ended up being a positive thing, he laughed.

“I was speechless,” Hedrick said of the win. “And I am never speechless.”

Hedrick’s prize total came in at $74,400.00, but the experience itself was priceless, he said. Not only was he able to take part in something he had loved his entire life, but it was also the first time his family had been able to take a trip with just the four of them, he said. “To have that time that was just family, and for it to be something so unique, was really special.”

Hedrick said another special thing about the experience was that it was something only the family knew about for almost two months until the show aired. “We just told people I didn’t embarrass myself and that I wasn’t going to go viral for a bad spin or something like that,” he said.

“One of the best things for me was seeing how excited other people were,” Hedrick said. WSAZ and WKYT did stories about Hedrick winning, and he said it was wonderful to see all of the people from the region comment on it. It was also great to be part of the news cycle for the stations where he once worked. “Of course, my friends and family were excited for me, but it was also nice to see how excited complete strangers were that someone from Kentucky could bring some fun and excitement to the region.”

“The support we have gotten from people reaching out has been very special,” Hedrick said. “And I want to thank everyone for being so excited for me, and I hope I have made them proud.”