St. James school 'lunch lady' Katie McCann wins $65,000 on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Katie McCann, a cafeteria lead service worker at St. James Elementary School, was cooking with gas on Tuesday's episode of "Wheel of Fortune."

The "lunch lady," as McCann, 37, proudly calls herself, spun her way to $65,253 in cash and prizes, including a 2025 Toyota Tacoma worth $42,589 and a trip to St. Croix.

McCann, who lives in Hauppauge, described the experience as "very surreal," during a phone interview on Wednesday. "You walk onto that set and you're transported into a fantasy world. The wheel was a lot heavier than I thought. It was nerve-racking … but the crew, the staff, everybody was so welcoming and warm."

That included "Wheel's" two stars, longtime letter turner, Vanna White, who gave the contestants a pep talk while they were in hair and makeup, and host Ryan Seacrest, whom McCann called "a dreamboat."

But it was McCann who was the star at her school on Wednesday, where students did everything short of asking for her autograph. "I'm not going to lie — today was the best day ever. Kids were coming in and saying, 'I watched it with my parents,' " she said. "They also asked me about the car and the cool set."

Surprisingly, no one asked about the other sweet treat she won — a year's supply of candy from Dylan's Candy Bar, which will probably be enjoyed by her many nieces and nephews and her 3-year-old daughter, McCann said.

Game show success hasn't turned her head. McCann still relishes her job and being called a lunch lady. "We’re a different breed in this school," she said. "We do a lot and I wanted to represent us, especially in my district. It’s tough work. We're in a hot kitchen all year long. But you get to be with these kids and it's so rewarding."

Being on the show, which was filmed in late summer, was a dream for McCann. She's been a "Wheel" watcher since she was 7 years old, adding that "it helped me learn how to spell as a child." Getting on the show was a two-year journey that started when she applied online in 2023. After submitting a photo and blurb about herself, she was invited to do an online interview and play a mock version of the game with other contestant hopefuls while the producers watched.

"They said they really liked my energy and then reached out and asked me to be on the show and gave me some dates," she said. When McCann responded that she was unavailable, her name was kept on file. In April, they contacted her again. "I couldn't say I was unavailable a second time," she said.

McCann is the second big "Wheel" winner from Long Island since the show began its 43rd season last month. On the Sept. 9 episode, West Hempstead native Gabriel Berkowitz racked up $86,560 in cash and prizes, including a $41,060 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF.

While McCann can't wait to get the new truck, making vacation plans for the St. Croix trip is an even bigger thrill.

"I've never been anywhere," she said, "so this is very exciting for me."