'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's ‘worst guess ever’ left viewers stunned — and her opponent $122K richer
'Wheel of Fortune' contestant Ryan Burkett became the hero of the hour when he won a staggering $100,000 in the Bonus Round. Earlier in the game, a contestant made the "worst guess ever," and the fans of the show couldn't believe it. During an episode, which aired on October 30, 2024, Burkett, from Pinellas Park, Florida, competed against Jill Schade, from Lehi, Utah, and Sharay Grant, from Palmdale, California. It re-aired on July 22 during the game show‘s summer of reruns. After solving various puzzles, Burkett emerged as the big winner of the night with $22,300 in cash and a trip to Portugal.
Eventually, Burkett advanced to the Bonus Round. At that point, his mother, Kim, and best friend, Mark, joined him onstage. When the game show host Ryan Seacrest asked Burkett to pick a category, he went with “Place." After 'Wheel of Fortune' gave Burkett the standard letters — R, S, T, L, N, and E —he selected B, C, H, and A to round out the puzzle. In the end, his two-word puzzle looked like: “L_CAL BA_ER_.”
According to TV Insider, Secarest told the player, "We’re going to give you 10 seconds. I feel like you might have a good idea here.” In his response, Burkett said, “I do. I’d like to say hello to Grandma, who’s watching at home, and the answer is Local Bakery.” Seacrest quipped, "That's it!" He then opened the Golden Envelope and informed Burkett that he had won an extra $100,000, giving him a grand total of $122,300. Following his big win, Burkett threw his hands in the air as the studio audience cheered and the golden confetti fell all over the stage. Soon after, Burkett fell into his mother's arms and also shared a hug with his best friend.
However, one of the most exciting moments in the game came when Grant took a shot in the dark and made a really bad guess on a puzzle. At that point, she spun the wheel and picked “Same Name" for the category. Grant chose the letters N, L, and P, and at last, the three-word puzzle read: “CAR & IN_INIT_ POOL.” She had to just guess two letters to solve the puzzle. Shortly afterward, Grant spun the wheel again. Instead of working out the puzzle, she chose the letter "B." At that moment, the entire studio fell into silence, as Vanna White turned around in sympathy and Seacrest told her that there was no "B" in the puzzle. Without wasting one second, Burkett deciphered the puzzle and said, "Car & Infinity Pool.”
Once the episode aired, many fans of the show were stunned by Grant's big blunder, and they shared their honest reactions on various social media platforms. One user took to X and posted a clip and pondered whether it was the biggest slip-up ever. The fan wrote, “Is this the worst guess in the history of #wheeloffortune?” Another user shared, "That was the absolute worst!! Where would that even fit in?" A third user wondered, "Where in the world was a B going to fit in that puzzle?!!"
