‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant loses $7K and a trip to Spain — all over a mispronunciation
Fans of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ know they are in for an unimaginable fun, given the show is known to have some of the most shocking wins and losses. Such was the case with a contestant on April 9, 2018. Jonny Knowles from Apex, NC, was playing against Sarah Douthit from Benton, LA, and Ashley Ford from Aurora, CO. Playing brilliantly, Knowles had earned $12,250 and was leading the game. Meanwhile, the other two contestants, Douthit and Ford, had made $1,000 and $1,250, respectively.
When it came to the 'Fun & Games' round, everything changed for Knowles. The puzzle board gave all three a puzzle, the answer to which was, “Flamenco Dance Lessons.” Knowles managed to solve the puzzle, and all that was left to do was simply to read the phrase correctly and take home the big win. However, instead of saying 'flamenco', the contestant said 'flamingo'. This left then-host, Pat Sajak, no choice. He had to buzz him for his incorrect answer. Knowles was shocked out of his mind as he lost $7,100 and a trip to Spain.
The move then went to Ford, the Aurora resident, who pronounced the puzzle right and took home the cash prize. Sajak explained to Knowles, “What we all heard was — and I know you didn’t mean to say it — but you gave us a G instead of a C,” as per Time. It is crucial to know that this wasn’t the first time that the game show had seen a case of mispronunciation. Back in 2014, a college student from Indiana University, Julian Batts, lost a big prize over his incorrect pronunciation.
He had a chance to grab a trip to London and earn $1 million prize with his puzzle that read "Mythological Hero Achilles.” However, as per Collider, the contestant read it as 'A-chill-us'. It was contestant Shelby Edmiston, who then pronounced the word correctly and took home the prize. This is by far the most brutal moment in the history of ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ The student’s final earnings were $11,700.
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As per the outlet, another such case of mispronunciation was seen when Paul Atkinson played on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ back in 2013. The contestant had mispronounced the puzzle “Corner Curio Cabinet.” The puzzle was only missing the letter 'B', but while pronouncing his guess, Atkinson read the puzzle as, "corno curo cabnet." The producers of 'Wheel of Fortune' were left with no option but to buzz him out. Unfortunately, the contestant lost a grand amount of around $1 million. ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is currently airing its reruns ahead of the new season. Catch the new host, Ryan Seacrest, and Vanna White in the Season 43 of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ set to release in September this year.