‘Wheel of Fortune’ player was one guess from winning $40K — then lost it all with terrible letter choices
‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant Tamika Starr got the fans fuming! The singer from Triangle, Virginia, who works with the armed forces, had a great start and was scoring high until the Bonus Round. Starr had earned $16,400 ahead of the round after beating her competitors Max Nussenbaum and Rebecca Levin. The Virginia native had to pick between three categories: ‘Person,’ ‘Thing,’ or ‘What Are You Doing?’ And she chose the latter. That was when the puzzle popped up and it read: “_ _ _ _ N _ / _ R _ _ N _.
The next thing that Starr had to do was guess four letters that could formulate the words, or at least give a hint of what they are. Among ‘The Wheel of Fortune’ fans, it is a renowned fact that the ‘What Are You Doing?’ category often has words ending in ING. So, it wouldn’t make sense to guess the letters. However, Starr’s letters of choice left the fans dumbfounded. She picked “I, G, C, and D,” which completed the puzzle halfway, but didn’t give enough clues to guess the words. Starr failed to make a correct guess, and the phrase was revealed as “Joking Around,” which cost her an extra $40,000.
Viewers couldn’t help but point out that Starr’s silly mistake cost her a round where she had a chance of winning big. “Nothing makes me more angry on this show than… Someone saying I & G on a ‘What Are You Doing’ final puzzle,” one fan wrote on the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Reddit forum. I SCREAMED at the TV tonight. When they pick I and G and lose, I scream, ‘Serves you right!!!’” Another angry fan wrote. “I’m so glad I’m not the only one,” a third social media user remarked.
“Called a gerund phrase: Washing the dog, Making breakfast, Running errands ... this has bugged me too! Of course, in What Are You Doing, the first word will end in I N G,” another fan explained. “Totally agree and thought last night's contestant just blew it with those obvious letter choices,” a fifth Reddit user wrote. “WAYD bonus rounds seem to be a trap I'd avoid,” the same user added. “Ha! Last night I said I and G are such a waste of letters!” another fan quipped. Perhaps it’s the pressure of the game that makes the contestants fumble. But it could apparently happen to anyone, even the show’s host.
Recently, the fans lashed out at host Ryan Seacrest, blaming him for a contestant’s loss. On March 31, Todd Meyer faced off against Sheree Corder in a crossword round, and the category selected was “Party.” After Corder's guess went wrong, the chance went to Meyer, and he nailed it, guessing all four words correctly: Party Time, “Party Animal,” “Party Decorations,” and “Party Bus.” But the host deemed him incorrect! Why? Because he added “Party” before every word and Corder instead emerged as the winner. Fans were angry with Seacrest for not explaining the rules at the start and costing Meyer a huge win.
