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So close! ‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant stumbles seconds from victory and loses big on final puzzle

"You were on the right track. It was ‘Back in the Day,'” host Ryan Seacrest said, revealing the answer.

A 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant failed to take home a cash prize of $61,000 after a difficult puzzle during the Bonus Round. Even the studio audience voiced their displeasure when the player missed out on the golden opportunity. During an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune', released on October 17, 2024, Corrina Bain, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, competed against Heather Leinen, from Waldo, Wisconsin, and Zack Tedder, from Austin, Texas. Bain, a flight attendant of nine years, kicked off the game by solving the first toss-up. Soon, she secured the lead with $15,050 and quickly also deciphered the second puzzle.

On the other hand, Leinen, a cheese tester, solved the Prize Puzzle and won a trip to Hawaii, taking her total to $15,044. All three contestants nailed a Triple Toss Up each. Tedder, a clinical forensic psychologist postdoctoral resident, won the Final Puzzle, giving him a total of $6,500. Meanwhile, Leinen had won $17,044. But Bain emerged as the big winner of the night with $21,800 in his bank, and she eventually advanced to the Bonus Round. 

During the big round, she picked 'Phrase' as the category and got 'R, S, T, L, N, and E.' She then chose 'H, D, M, and I' to round out the puzzle. Ultimately, the puzzle looked like '_ _ _ _  IN  THE D_ _.' As the clock counted down, Bain guessed, "Made in the Day." As per a report by TV Insider, the game show host Ryan Seacrest sadly shared, "You were on the right track. It was ‘Back in the Day.'” As Seacrest revealed the correct answer, the studio audience expressed their dissatisfaction and groaned. Following the Bonus Round, Bain ended up losing an additional $40,000. 

Once the episode dropped, fans of the show 'Wheel of Fortune' shared their honest thoughts on the tough bonus puzzle. A netizen took to the comments section of the YouTube video and wrote, "Tough puzzle, but good game just the same." Another penned, "No $40,000 win this time." A comment also read, "No $40,000 win this time." Meanwhile, one encouraged, "You did amazing. So glad I was able to watch you win, love you, Corrina."

As the comments poured in, one speculated, "They know where to stop the wheel. I think it is practiced. It is like the wheel at the casino, and they spin the wheel it lands on certain numbers. I think they break with the pointer. If they give it a hard enough shove, they get it past certain spots. And they can set it to hit 'Bankrupt'. They are in control of the game. They compensate the player who doesn't win." A netizen, meanwhile, noted, "Just going to say another tough one and I kinda knew it was back in the day she just needed a B or a K too solved that easy but congratulations Corrina she still played good though!"