Alabama vet misses out on huge prize money after failing to solve tough ‘Wheel of Fortune’ puzzle
When it comes to ‘Wheel of Fortune’ puzzles, a participant's choice of letters can make all the difference, particularly during the Bonus Round. If your choice hits the mark, then it's unlikely that you'd miss out on a grand prize. For Callie DeWeese of Madison, Alabama, however, that was not the case. Appearing on the November 15, 2024, episode, during Veterans' Week, DeWeese was pitted against Shawn Cochrane, a resident of Garfield, New Jersey, and Dalia Collins from Las Vegas, Nevada. After a close competition with Collins, DeWesse managed to take the lead in the Express Round to enter the Bonus Round. But her choice of letters put her in a difficult spot, as many fans pointed out later.
After solving the first toss-up, DeWesse had $900. In the Mystery Round, DeWeese reached $3000, behind Collins, who had won $4000. In the Express Round, the players were given a puzzle from the 'Phrase' category. Guessing the answer—"I Propose a Toast"— correctly, DeWesse took the lead, winning $12,719 in cash and a trip to Whaler’s Cove Oceanfront Luxury in Poipu in Kauai, as per Andy Nguyen’s blog. Joining Ryan Seacrest on stage for the Bonus Round, DeWesse chose 'In The Kitchen' as her category.
Wishing her luck, Seacrest reminded DeWesse of the prizes she could add to her winnings if she got the puzzle right. “There’s a lot of money on there,” he said as DeWeese gave the wheel a spin. Seacrest picked up the Golden Envelope and provided her with the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. For her letters, DeWeese chose K, M, H, and A. But to her dismay, none of the letters fit the two-word puzzle that read: "__ __ __ __ EN S __ __ __ N". "Well, it’s going to be tough, but it is certainly possible,” co-host Vanna White remarked.
But even as the ten-second timer started running, there wasn't much DeWesse had to work with, and she seemed clueless. Five seconds passed, but she had yet to come up with a guess. In the end, all she could do was nod her head as the buzzer went off. “Wooden Spoon,” Seacrest revealed the answer. He also opened the Golden Envelope to show what was in it: DeWeese had just missed out on $40,000. However, she did return home with $14,719.
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Empathising with the Madison veteran, fans expressed how if she had chosen a different set of letters, the puzzle might not have been as difficult as it seemed. “Feels like her letter choices were just wild guesses,” a fan wrote, while another commented, “Surprisingly, I don't think the Puzzle was difficult thanks to the Category In The Kitchen and surprisingly I figure out the Puzzle Wooden Spoon. There is one letter that Callie would've need it and that was a vowel of "O's" because there were 4 of them, that would've done it for her.” A third fan commented, “This category gave her easy time. sad she lost.” ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is back with Season 43, and you can catch all the latest episodes on Peacock or Hulu.
