“Wonka” “the Golden Ticket” winner talks ‘nerve-wracking’ finale and big plans for winnings

Daysia TolentinoWed, September 30, 2026 at 7:01 AM UTC

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Taylor Schilling, Garrison Wilson, and Gabrielle Wright in ‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’ finaleCredit: NetflixKey Points -

The season 1 winner of Wonka’s the Golden Ticket has been selected.

The champion receives a “six-figure annuity for 30 years,” or roughly $3 million.

The winner speaks with Entertainment Weekly about the “nerve-wracking” finale and their big plans for their winnings.

So shines a good deed in a weary world.

That’s the lesson Charlie Bucket learns at the end of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Thus, that is the lesson all of the contestants on Wonka’s the Golden Ticket must understand to win the lifetime supply of money.

Indeed, Wonka has chosen his winner — with a little help from his losers. After a high-stakes maze challenge saw the elimination of Garrison Wilson, the competition came down to 23-year-old phlebotomist Taylor Schilling and 22-year-old choreographer Gabrielle Wright.

But their fate fell to a jury of eliminated peers, who had to vote on which young woman deserved to win the factory tour. Assessing their gameplay throughout the competition, a dozen eliminated contestants weighed in on which finalist stayed true to their moral compass.

And it wouldn’t be Wonka without a licorice twist, so don’t expect this to be like Big Brother. Instead of the jury totally determining their fates, Schilling and Wright had to guess how each jury member voted. For every correct answer, they received a point. The finalist with the most points won the whole competition.

So who walked away with the lifetime supply of money? After a neck-and-neck round of guessing, Wright got one point over Schilling, winning the game. Although this competition ultimately became a singles contest, Wright’s partner in the game and childhood best friend, Sasha Brenden, returned to Wonka’s Factory to celebrate with her.

“I didn’t know that she was still there, so I thought she had already flown back home,” Wright tells Entertainment Weekly. “So then, when she ran out behind me, I was like so happy, ecstatic. I was crying all over the place, and it was just special to share that moment with her.”

Gabrielle Wright in the final challenge of ‘Wonka’s the Golden Ticket’Credit: Netflix

Now that she’s won the money, Wright has big aspirations for what to do with it. The prize — a “six-figure annuity for 30 years,” or roughly $3 million — will help her pursue causes she cares about while giving her more stability.

“Overall, I feel like this win just gives me the opportunity to be financially secure within my future, but also do something meaningful for other people as well,” she says.

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Similar to the 1971 film, a major part of The Golden Ticket was examining how each contestant balanced selfishness with selflessness. While viewers got some insight into the motivations of some of the other players, Wright was a bit of a mystery to those at home who didn’t get to hear much of her backstory. She was even elusive to some of her fellow contestants, a fact she knew while standing before the jury.

“It was nerve-wracking,” she admits. “I mean, I think standing up in front of anybody and having to state your case for something always kind of gives you a little bit of a pause. At least I can speak for myself. In that case, I think it was a nice opportunity to finally be able to share a little bit more of my story with the people that I was living with for quite some time because throughout the entire experience, I kind of was just doing my own thing.”

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Winner Gabrielle Wright and her game partner Sasha Brenden in the finale of ‘Wonka’s the Golden Ticket’Credit: Netflix

Indeed, she got vulnerable in that final challenge about why she was in the factory, revealing that she wanted to help her single mother, who works three jobs.

“When I thought about what I would do with the winnings, the first thing that popped into my mind was my mother,” she continues. “You know, she works tirelessly. She never stops. Watching her push through challenges throughout our entire life and still giving so much to others really shaped who I am as a woman, and the woman that I want to continue becoming. And just being able to give back to somebody who has given so much to me, I think, is the greatest gift of all time. And carrying her example forward, it also just means that I can give back in ways that I see fit.”

As for how she plans to give back, Wright hopes to put some of the money toward her nonprofit, A Birthday Party Wish, which organizes birthday parties for unhoused children and foster kids. She also wants to use the funds to create a children’s book series and to build a community for those suffering from dementia, a disease that impacts her grandmother.

Will she split any of the winnings with her partner, Brendan? Wright admits they haven’t discussed whether or not they will divide the prize.

“Being around her brings out my happiness, and I really believe that there’s no way to lose when you have such positive people surrounding you in your life, like her,” she says. “But yeah, that’s something that we haven’t really talked about, and I’m sure we’ll have it soon.”

All episodes of Wonka’s the Golden Ticket are now available on Netflix.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

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