'Wheel of Fortune' fans call out a surprising mistake — and say the wrong player advanced to the final round
'Wheel of Fortune’ has always kept fans hooked, with many often expressing their emotions on social media. However, a November 2021 episode sparked online debate, and not for good reasons. A contestant named Steven Page solved the puzzle “Quality Craftsmanship,” earning $9,000 and a spot in the Bonus Round. However, a few viewers noticed he dropped the “S” from the word “craftsmanship.”
View this post on Instagram
According to Decider,fans on X (formerly Twitter) questioned the ruling. One wrote, “#Why was Steven’s response on ‘Quality Craftsmanship’ rule[d] correct tonight?? He said ‘quality craftsmanship,' without ’the ‘S’! That’s incorrect. Lisa deserves another $9k, as she would have gotten that on the next turn.” Another social media post read, “The man on Wheel of Fortune today shouldn't have won. The last puzzle, he said, "Quality craftsmanship." He missed the "s" in craftsmanship. You can hear it if you listen closely." In the November 18, 2021 episode, Page, a news network producer from Washington, D.C., competed against Christina Maril from San Diego and Lisa Volivitch, a preschool teacher from La Palma. Viewers praised Volivitch and felt she deserved a spot in the Bonus Round instead of Page. However, Page couldn’t solve the puzzle he was given in the Bonus Round, which was “_ L _ _ _ N _ _ R _ _ _.” He guessed “FLOWING BROOM,” but the correct answer was “FLOWING BROOK.” Volivitch, on the other hand, ended up winning over $3,000 in prize money.
View this post on Instagram
On 'Wheel of Fortune,' some contestants have lost big due to mispronunciations, while others secured controversial wins. According to US Weekly, in 2014, Emil de Leon stunned viewers by correctly guessing “New Baby Buggy” with only two letters on the board. What made it special was that the contestant had only two letters on the board. That same year, Julian Batt, a freshman at Indiana University, lost a chance at $1 million. Despite guessing all the letters in “The Mythological Hero Achilles,” he mispronounced “Achilles," costing him the prize. In an interview, Batt said he “didn’t have a lot of time to really process,” which led to the mispronunciation.
The man on Wheel of Fortune today shouldn't have won. The last puzzle he said, "Quality craftmanship. He missed the "s" is craftsmanship. You can hear it if you listen closely. He should have gotten the buzz and the lady beside him should have gotten it.
— Terry Bradshaw is the original #TB12 (@SomeGuyOnHere99) November 19, 2021
Another controversy occurred in December 2020, when Pat Sajak argued with a contestant who said no one uses the phrase “kitchen oven.” Sajak responded, saying, "Don't! You won! Don't argue, Darin! ... You got the puzzle. Ungrateful players! I've had it!” However, the former host had apologized for his actions later on the show. 'Wheel of Fortune’ is now in Season 42 and is hosted by Ryan Seacrest following Sajak’s 2024 departure.
