Wheel of Fortune fans have criticized a contestant over what they characterized as an illogical puzzle guess during Wednesday’s installment of the show.
The beloved quiz show returned to screens for its 42nd season in September with Ryan Seacrest as the incoming host. It followed the departure of veteran presenter Pat Sajak after 41 years and more than 8,000 episodes at the helm.
And while there has been a changing of the guard among presenters, things have been business as usual for viewers as they watch contestants vie against one another for the big prize while solving a series of word puzzles.
On Wednesday, one contestant was seen winning control of the famed wheel to guess on a word puzzle under the category “Same Name.” Many of the correct letters had already been found, leaving the clue as follows: “CAR & IN_INIT_ POOL.”
However, when the contestant in question had an opportunity to guess what the remaining letters might be, she incorrectly asked for the letter “B.” The correct answer turned out to be “CAR & INFINITY POOL,” meaning that “F” and “Y” were missing.
One Wheel of Fortune viewer shared a clip of the moment on X, formerly Twitter, writing in an accompanying caption: “Is this the worst guess in the history of #wheeloffortune?”
“That was the absolute worst!!” an X user responded. “Where would that even fit in?”
Sharing a GIF of former host Sajak looking stunned, another viewer commented: “Bruh, this lady only had the f & y missing in infinity on wheel of fortune & she asked for a b … a b where ma’am?”
Posting a GIF of a boy expressing frustration, one Wheel of Fortune fan said: “I damn near threw my phone.”
“Where in the world was a B going to fit in that puzzle?!!” read another post.
Over the years, several Wheel of Fortune clips have gone viral over contestant blunders or the show’s stringent rules denying a player a bonus prize win.
In March 2022, then-host Sajak defended other contestants who were mocked on social media for struggling to solve a puzzle.
Sajak wrote on X: “It always pains me when nice people come on our show to play a game and win some money and maybe fulfill a lifelong dream, and are then subject to online ridicule when they make a mistake or something goes awry.”
Urging those commenting on the viral moment to “have a little heart,” Sajak said that finding humor in the moment is different from mocking the players relentlessly.
“Good-natured laughter is one thing,” he wrote in his lengthy thread. “Heck, they laughed at themselves. But, hey, cut them some slack. Unless you’re there, you have no idea how different it is in the studio.
“I have fun with players and I tease them occasionally, but when things go wrong, I feel for them, and I try to salve the wounds on camera and off. So, yeah, it was an oddly entertaining puzzle and it’s okay to laugh at the situation. But have a little heart.
“After all, you may be there one day. And no one wants to be trending on Twitter,” Sajak said.
Bruh, this lady only had the f & y missing in infinity on wheel of fortune & she asked for a b… a b where ma'am 🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/T0keOB6Y2I
— Noble Dramatiq (@dramatiq00) October 30, 2024
Source: ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Viewers Blast Contestant’s Answer—’Worst Guess’ – Newsweek
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