'Wheel of Fortune' contestant lost on purpose and left Pat Sajak confused — but fans loved her for it
Military veteran Nura Fountano confused host Pat Sajak by guessing wrong answers during a special episode on 'Wheel of Fortune' in 2015. Fountano had an excellent beginning; she was on a winning streak and amassed a huge saving after solving all the first-round puzzles. However, as she approached the final spin, she started fumbling with the answers, guessing the wrong letters.
The group was given the category 'What Are You Doing?' and the board showcased two words. During the turn-by-turn round, Nura guessed 'Z.' Sajak confirmed, "Say that again for me? Did you say 'Z?'" She responded, "As in Zulu. Z." The letter was not on the puzzle board. Troy, her opponent, thereafter correctly guessed the letter 'T' and increased his savings to $1,600, as per GodTube. Fountano later chose 'X' and 'Q', neither of which were in the puzzle, and at times, the buzzer sounded even before she could reply. She was defeated by another competitor, Steve, a veteran who began the round with no winnings but finished collecting $6,400. It was evident that Fountano was allowing Steve to score in the game with her hits and misses.
As time passed, she allowed Steve to pick up the next letter, and he ended up choosing 'F'. The puzzle board then looked easy to solve, and the veteran guessed the answer correctly as 'Following Footprints.' After the round, Sajak, out of curiosity, inquired about her decisions. "May I ask you a question? You called some unusual letters,” he said. The veteran candidly brushed it off, replied, "That's what I saw." “Well, that was an unsatisfactory answer, but she’s not under oath. There’s nothing I can do, but she’s the big winner with $13,970.”
Just saw the classiest move on "Wheel of Fortune." Nura threw the final puzzle to let a fellow military person win it. Much respect.
— Jeremy Pond (@JeremyPond) November 11, 2015
Her generosity didn't go unnoticed; she was lauded by fans for her classy act. "Just saw the classiest move on 'Wheel of Fortune'. Nura threw the final puzzle to let a fellow military person win it. Much respect," a viewer praised on X. "The veteran (Nura) didn't forget how to play. She played the game amazingly throughout and racked up a jackpot. It was obvious that she was purposely trying to let Steve win some money. Steve had $0, and she was trying to let him win some money before he left. She was so far ahead and chose to be kind to the guy with no money. It's ridiculous that some people are making this kind woman, who obviously knew how to play, seem like an idiot," another echoed.
"She threw the game for the other veterans to gain some money, knowing she was going to advance regardless. Respect! I applaud her for that. Very humble," a netizen applauded. "This lady is a first-class act, like the vast majority of our veterans!" another agreed. Fountano didn't advance to the Bonus Round, but she did walk away with $14,000 in prizes.
