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After a red-hot streak, this ‘Wheel of Fortune’ player lost it all — over one wrong vowel

"Antoinette you don’t control that million dollars wedge because you didn’t solve the puzzle," Pat Sajak said.

A 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's poor selection of letters cost her big time. During an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune,' which was released on May 4, 2023, Antoinette Myers from Baltimore picked up one wrong vowel, and she failed to win a big prize. After watching Myers' big blunder, her opponents burst out into laughter. In the Prize Puzzle round, Myers managed to guess a couple of letters correctly in the Song Title category. After guessing four “Ts” for $600 each, she carried on guessing and got nine correct letters in total, which also consisted of the purchase of three vowels. By that point, Myers was leading the scoreboard.

Throughout the episode, Myers won numerous incredible prize wedges, including one for $3,500 plus another for $1 million, and an XL wedge, which can double the winnings of a contestant if they make it to the Bonus Round. At that point in the game, Myers had the lead with $13,600, and she had one more puzzle to solve. The puzzle board read “TWO TICKETS TO __R__ISE," which means Myers had to guess a few letters.

Myers made the decision to buy another vowel, and she chose 'U', which was incorrect. Soon after, the buzzer went off, and Myers, who seemed disappointed, said, “Ahh” as the studio audience groaned. Then, another contestant, Erica Johnsen, entered the chat, and she guessed the correct answer, "TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE," winning two tickets to the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Hawaii plus $5,000 in cash. The whole situation amused fellow contestant Mark Dolak, who roared with laughter. Not only did Myers miss out on the amazing vacation, but she also lost all the money she collected during her hot streak. Along with this, Myers also lost control of the $1 million wedge.

According to TV Insider, following her loss, the host Pat Sajak told Myers, "Antoinette, you don’t control that million-dollar wedge because you didn’t solve the puzzle. But the good news is you have that XL. If you do make it to the bonus round, that’s an extra 40 grand to you and maybe 40 for someone at home. I always look for good news; there’s always a pony in there somewhere.” In the end, Myers didn't make it to the Bonus Round, as she lost to Johnsen by just $4,000. On the other hand, when we talk about Johnsen, he excelled in the Bonus Round and ended up winning a Mercedes-Benz SUV. 

Once the episode dropped, the fans couldn't stop themselves from talking about Myers' big blunder. One user took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, "I really wonder about some of these people that are on the #WheelofFortune. When she said, U." Followed by a second user who penned, "There have been some huge swings in win probability tonight because of clueless plays. First Sea, now "U". #WheelOfFortune." Another netizen went on to say, "This lady said "u" #wheeloffortune." A 'Wheel of Fortune' fan quipped, "I'd really like to know where she thought that 'U' was going to go."