‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant kept guessing ‘gum’ in bonus round — but the real answer was way off
‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestants experience highs and lows, but fumbling in the Bonus Round really stings! Contestant Yumemi Turk missed out on an extra $40,000 due to a simple mistake. A fan of Japanese cuisine, whose family owns an okonomiyaki restaurant, missed the final puzzle by just a few letters. The California native defeated her fellow contestants in earlier rounds and advanced to the Bonus Round. Turk won every round and even secured a $7,500 vacation package, building a huge early lead in the game. She nearly missed “Lose a Turn” and “Bankrupt,” which proved that fate was on her side until the final puzzle.
Before the final round, Turk had earned $37,950 and chose “Food and Drink” as her Bonus Round category. Before the final spin, she introduced her mother and her childhood sweetheart, turned husband. Turk landed on the “S” in “America’s,” and host Ryan Seacrest picked the envelope before they walked over to the puzzle. After the “R, S, T, L, and N” were revealed in the puzzle, Turk chose “D, M, B, and O” for her additional letters. The final puzzle looked like this: “B_ _ED _ _ M.” After Seacrest started the 10-second timer, Turk started to guess and kept bringing up the word “gum.”
“Something gum,” she said as the time ran out. The puzzle was revealed to be “BAKED HAM,” and Turk laughed for being way off. “It wasn't any kind of gum. It was ham. I think if you had that ‘H,’ it would have helped out a little bit,” host Seacrest said. He went on to reveal the amount she would have won if the guess was correct. However, Turk wasn’t disappointed after looking at the $40,000 reward money and took the loss sportingly. Fans flocked to the comment section of the official ‘Wheel of Fortune’ YouTube video to share their take on the puzzle.
While some thought it was difficult, others guessed it way too easily. “This was hardy. VERY Hard,” one social media user wrote. “This was hard to solve,” another fan commented. “Another really tough one. I didn't have it, but if you could get ham, you might have had a shot,” a third internet user suggested. Many social media users guessed the puzzle instantly. “I got this one instantly. Easy puzzle,” one fan wrote. “Oof, this puzzle it is easy!! Come on!!” a second internet user wrote irritably. “I was YELLING this one!” another fan added.
“I had guessed correct,” a fourth fan wrote. Some netizens were also supportive of Turk’s efforts. “She tried and did her best,” one person added. “Good effort on that puzzle,” a second internet user commented. “Oh well. You win some, you lose some,” another fan wrote reassuringly. Turk’s guess was still relatively closer to the correct answer. In the history of ‘Wheel of Fortune’, there have been many bizarre guesses that went viral for the worst reasons. So, Turk certainly dodged a bullet there!
