Oceanside Woman Wins Sizzling Prizes On 'Let's Make A Deal'

OCEANSIDE, CA — An Oceanside woman can host backyard barbecues after winning sizzling prizes on Wednesday's episode of "Let's Make a Deal."

Emily Reed won a grill, pizza oven and a Sizzlefish prime plus subscription for a year when she chose to reveal what was inside the Big Box on the television game show instead of taking $1,000 from host Wayne Brady. The prizes were worth $3,449.

"When I won the prizes, I was so happy," Reed told Patch. "I couldn't believe I wasn't Zonked. I think even if I was Zonked, it would have been fun. I was just so happy to experience being on 'Let's Make a Deal' and having Wayne Brady call my name."

The show is known for its audience members who dress up in crazy costumes to get Brady's attention, in hopes of getting a chance to compete. Reed dressed as a basketball player.

As a fan of the show, Reed said she sometimes plays along at home.

"Sometimes I play along with the contestants to see if I would have made the right choice," said Reed, who has lived in Oceanside for 23 years. "Would I have gotten a wonderful prize or a Zonk?"

Reed is retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where she served 10 years active duty and 11 years in the military reserves. She also worked for 30 years for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This was Reed's first time competing on a game show. She learned about the opportunity through an email seeking contestants. She applied online and was interviewed over Zoom.

At the taping, Reed said waiting to get chosen as a contestant was her favorite part of the experience.

"I really enjoyed being on the show," Reed said. "It was a lot of fun, and being with people that exude so much energy was such a unique experience. We all fed off of one another's excitement. It was all a blast."