“Family Feud” got a taste of the First State on Tuesday night when this Delaware family came out on top.
The Fletcher family from Wilmington, consisting of 10 siblings, competed on the popular game show hosted by Steve Harvey on May 16.
When the Portie family went up against the Fletchers, they turned out to be no match for the wits of Lisa, Annette, Margaret, Debra and Joan, the five of the eight Fletcher sisters competing on the show.
Initial story on the Fletchers:Catch Delaware family’s ‘Family Feud’ debut May 16 to see if they bring home a win for Mom
How the Fletcher family pulled off a win
The Fletchers started the game strong with a 248-0 lead, but when they blanked on the fourth answer during the fourth question round, the Portie family offered the winning answer and stole 276 points.
With the tables turned, the contestants were forced into a sudden-death showdown resting on a one-answer question.
In the end, Debra hit the buzzer before a member of the Portie family could and successfully guessed the answer, sending her team to the Fast Money round.
In that moment, the family was filled with excitement and recalls the moment as feeling surreal, they said.
Afterward, Lisa and Margaret were chosen by their sisters to bring home the extra money during the bonus round.
“I did a horrible job answering questions so I knew I wasn’t going up for Fast Money,” Annette joked. “We had our two best people go up for Fast Money and they represented really well.”
The sister duo demolished the bonus road, with Lisa starting off strong by gaining 178 points and Margaret quickly sealing the deal with an answer sending their total straight to 200 points.
The family previously told Delaware Online/The News Journal that they wanted to win the show for their mother, who died in 2001.
She instilled in them a love of gaming and “Family Feud” felt like a fitting way to honor her legacy and promote the Fletcher name, they said.
The ‘Feud’ that almost didn’t happen
For a family that came onstage with game faces ready, you might be surprised to hear that their TV debut almost didn’t happen.
Lisa had a panic attack while traveling to film the show and thought of backing out before eventually continuing, stating that the show is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and she didn’t want to take that away from her siblings, she said.
“Life is so short, you know, and when opportunities come around, we need to take advantage of them because we never know if we’ll have them again,” said Lisa. “The memory will always be there and it can’t be taken away.”
A win for their mom
When their win was officially declared, the Fletchers knew they did right by their mother, feeling shocked, grateful and in awe, the sisters said.
And not only were they going home with a win under their belt and an ode to Mom, but they would also be able to help Dad out by using their winnings to have his ceiling rebuilt, said Lisa.
“We would like to do something like that for him so that his space would be livable. Comfortable and set up the way it’s supposed to be,” she said.
When will they be on TV next?
If you missed their May 16 appearance, the Fletchers will be back onstage on Wednesday, May 17, to defend their winning title.
If they win five times in a row, a car and the bonus round winnings will be theirs for keeping.
Can the Fletchers pull out another win? Tune in to see.
Check your local listings to find showtimes and ways to watch, and visit www.familyfeud.com for more info.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
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