'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses $40K after trying to talk through tough Bonus Round puzzle
One of the most heartbreaking parts of 'Wheel of Fortune' is losing in the Bonus Round. After competing with two other contestants, reaching the Bonus Round gives a player a chance to win big bucks, but the tough puzzles often make it very challenging. In one such scenario, despite her best efforts, a contestant lost $40K after struggling to solve the difficult Bonus Round puzzle.
The contestant in discussion is Carrie, who appeared in the December 2024 episode of 'Wheel of Fortune.' In the Bonus Round, Carrie shared the excitement of having her family in the audience. "Yes, my favorite guys, I got my son Carlos, my wonderful husband Tony, and Donald Duck," she said, smiling as she introduced her cheering squad. Carrie also mentioned her grandson, "Roman, that's out there, yes."
As the game began, host Ryan Seacrest eagerly spun the wheel, saying, "Let's see what we can do here; a lot of money. Will it be the $100,000 envelope? Maybe." Carrie landed on the 'N' wedge of the Bonus wheel. She then strategically selected letters with Vanna White's guidance, as she said, "I'll take a D… an M… okay, and a B," followed by choosing the vowel 'I,' which transformed the puzzle into "DRI_IN_ N TE _I_ _ _ _ _." Seacrest encouraged her, giving her a challenge, saying, "10 seconds to try and work it out. Do the best you can. Good luck."
Talking through the puzzle, Carrie guessed several possibilities, "Driving in the… driving on the railroad… driving on the express." However, the time was up, and the correct answer was revealed to be "Driving on the highway." Carrie pacified herself as she says, "Oh my goodness, that's okay… I got it!" Soon, the envelope is revealed to be the prize of $40K, but Carrie took her loss gracefully as she hugged Seacrest while saying, "Nice to meet you. Thank You, Ryan." Her final winnings were revealed to be $22,050.
In another instance, a group of firefighters competed in solving puzzles, with Darrin Gallagher advancing to the Bonus Round after winning all three 'Triple Toss-Ups.' Choosing the category "What are you doing?" and selecting the letters K, D, G, and A to complement the provided R, S, T, L, N, and E, Gallagher faced the puzzle hint, "TAK_NG A _ _ _ _ _," as per Collider. Despite the clear letters, he was stumped and couldn't guess the answer, which was revealed to be "TAKING A WHIFF." Gallagher admitted he never would have figured it out, even with an "F," and host Seacrest agreed, making the frustrating loss understandable.
In a different heartbreaking occasion, nurse Jesse Larson from Paducah, Kentucky, came close to the million-dollar prize but missed out, also losing in the Bonus Round, per TV Insider. In the Bonus Round, Larson chose the category 'Phrase' and picked letters H, M, C, O, and B to complement the provided R, S, T, L, N, and E, leaving the puzzle as "_HE_ _ O_ THE C_R_E." With time running out, she couldn't solve it, and the answer was revealed as "Ahead of the Curve." Despite missing the million-dollar prize, Larson still secured $40,000, with the $1 million envelope hidden in the 'S' wedge of the Bonus wheel.