Many people go quiet after retiring, but the same cannot be said about Rob Baker, a former English teacher who retired in May 2025. Baker decided to take his experience as an English teacher and put it to the test on Wheel of Fortune, a game show where contestants earn money after guessing difficult words.
According to WordPress (in a detailed recap of the Wheel of Fortune event where Baker was a contestant), he was always a crossword puzzle enthusiast and a writer, and was reportedly rejected 25 times; only after 15 years did the New York Times decide to accept his work. He put his work to the test on the big screen.
Baker started decently, keeping neck-and-neck with his fellow contestants, utilizing his love for crossword puzzles and his educational background as a way to help him. Eventually, in the third round, the third contestant went bankrupt, meaning he was out of the contest. It was down to Baker and his fellow contestant to decide who would come in first.
Near the end of the fourth round, Baker was ousted, disqualified for being one letter off when guessing the word. He came in second place, taking home $12,650.
