‘Wheel of Fortune’ player lives her ‘worst nightmare’ after fumbling one letter on ‘longest puzzle ever’
The long-running game show 'Wheel of Fortune' proves how even the smallest mistake can cost players a big win. In one such instance, a contestant learned her lesson the hard way after making an absurd mistake on what is considered one of the longest puzzles ever featured on the show. What made the loss even more painful was that he missed out on victory by just a single letter, which was hidden in plain sight.
The contestant in discussion is Nikol Gamble, who appeared on the episode that aired Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Gamble, who is an escape room owner from Houston, Texas, faced a heartbreaking moment during the 'Mystery Round.' Competing against Dustin Whittern and Rachael Traywick, Gamble was just one letter away from solving a massive 12-word puzzle in the 'Song Lyrics' category, as per TV Insider.
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The nearly complete puzzle read, "SEE THE LINE WHERE THE S_Y MEETS THE SEA; IT CALLS ME." Unfortunately, Gamble guessed the wrong letter, turning what could’ve been a big win into what she called her "worst nightmare." The missed answer, 'SKY,' was painfully clear in hindsight, making the loss all the more devastating. Reportedly, instead of 'Sky,' Gamble guessed 'Soy' to complete a nearly solved puzzle.
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Despite host Ryan Seacrest pointing out that no vowels were left, she chose 'O,' resulting in the nonsensical phrase, "See The Line Where The Soy Meets The Sea It Calls Me." Realizing her mistake too late, she lost the round to Traywick, who correctly solved it with the lyric from Moana's 'How Far I’ll Go.' Fans were also stunned by the silly mistake, as many shared their opinion under the post shared by the Instagram account of 'Wheel of Fortune.' A fan said, "I have NO idea where this is from, but c'mon, man...Soy?"
A 'Wheel of Fortune' viewer commented, "It’s funny that Nikol with a K missed the letter K in the puzzle." Another one said, "This woman the entire game really was running my blood pressure up." She is really in the top 10 contestants that should never ever sign up again." A fan commented, "He had just told her that all the valves had been used." And she chooses the letter O. Brilliant." Meanwhile. another said, "I thought this was an SNL skit until I saw Ryan."
I've always been jealous of any of y'all who are able to TREAT YOURSELF A ROUND OF SAUSAGE almost every day. #WheelofFortune 😜 pic.twitter.com/ThjAPlX46u
— WheelRob (@WheelRob10) November 12, 2024
Notably, Gamble is not the only one who messed up big time on 'Wheel of Fortune,' as another contestant, Will Jordan, raised eyebrows for a silly mistake. With just a few letters missing in the puzzle "___E OURSE_F A ROUN OF A___AUSE," Jordan confidently blurted out, “Treat yourself to a round of sausage,” turning a motivational phrase into a food order, as per NBC News. The incorrect guess instantly caught viewers' attention online, sparking memes and reactions. After Kitina Thomas correctly solved it with “Give yourself a round of applause,” host Seacrest kept the fun going by joking, “Will, I kind of like yours better. That sounds better than just clapping right now.”