Listen to your mother Listen to your mother (May 06, 2005)

Mother-son team win big on 'Wheel of Fortune', despite son's trepidation
by Rebecca Guyon

It seemed like a long shot. After all, 15,000 people applied. But when it was all said and done, Pleasanton resident Roberta Christensen and her son Ken Skip not only were chosen to play on Wheel of Fortune's special edition of "Mom and Me" week, they also won $51,000 and a trip to Malibu.

"I've watched 'Wheel' since the beginning," Roberta said. "All my prayers got answered because I've always wanted to be on that show."

Being such a huge fan, Roberta knew she had to apply when she heard the Wheel was coming to the Moscone Center in San Francisco for three weeks last year. She asked Ken to join her since he is the most outgoing of her children, she said.

"My mom has wanted to be on a game show for so long," Ken said. "And 'Wheel of Fortune' is top dog. When she asked if I'd go with her I said, 'Sure,' but thought, 'yeah right, we'll really get on Wheel of Fortune.' Then we got called for the audition, and then a few days later we found out we got chosen. All I could think was, 'Oh no, are you serious?'"

They were serious. Despite his reservations, Ken went along with the plan and joined his mom for the show. But it wasn't until the pair arrived to the taping that reality set in for Ken.

"I was so nervous," he said. "They have a makeup artist who powders your face, and because I was sweating like crazy he kept touching me up with powder so often that it felt like I had my own personal makeup artist."

Roberta had an easier time keeping her cool.

"I thought I would be nervous, but once they explained everything, I really felt like I was at home watching it on TV," she said. "I just really wanted to get to the last round so my grandsons could run on stage."

Ken and Roberta did make it to the bonus round after solving almost every puzzle during the game with phrases such as, "making a scrap book," "Baseball Hall of Fame," "riding a surf board," and "Peter, Peter pumpkin eater."

The two can't agree on who really won it for them in the bonus round. Ken says his mom chose an "m," while Roberta says she would never choose that letter and credits it to her son. Either way, calling out the "m" was key in helping them solve the puzzle, "jog my memory," which won them $25,000 and the chance to bring Ken's sons, Joseph and Daniel, on stage at the end of the show.

"It felt like we were movie stars," Roberta said. "After the show, people were honking their horns and cheering."

Nearly a year after the actual day they won, Roberta and Ken finally were able to take the trip to Malibu in April, and they brought Joseph and Daniel with them.

"Malibu was great," Ken said. "It was nice to lay in bed and hear the waves crash against the shore."

With the money, Ken bought a truck, while Roberta made some practical purchases like a new kitchen counter top, brakes and a master cylinder for the car, and then saved the rest.

Even though she finally got to be on the show, Roberta still loves to watch and take a stab at the puzzles.

"She still tapes it everyday," Ken said. "I don't really watch it, but my sons like to watch it with their grandma."

@photocredit: Courtesy of Roberta Christensen

Joseph, Ken, and Daniel Skip and Roberta Christensen pose with the Weekly at the Malibu Beach Inn. Ken and Roberta won the trip on "Wheel of Fortune" along with $51,000 during the show's "Mom and Me" week in San Francisco.

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