Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in January 2024.
Outraged “Wheel of Fortune” enthusiasts are crying foul, convinced that a contestant, Megan, was unjustly stripped of $40,000 for an answer that might have been spot-on.
Megan, a married high school choir director from California, faced the challenge of unraveling a two-word bonus puzzle under the category of “Living Thing.”
As the wheel spun, host Pat Sajak guided Megan to the puzzle board, revealing the partial phrase “_ N ‘ R _ _ _.’”
Megan, making strategic letter selections, transformed the board to “P_N_’ ‘RC _ D.”
With a mere 10 seconds left, Megan hastily uttered her final guess, sounding like “Pink Orchid” or faintly resembling “Something Orchid.” The correct letters illuminated the board just as the timer buzzed, prompting Megan to audibly express her frustration at the correct answer, “Pink Orchid.”
Sajak, acknowledging Megan’s potential correctness, displayed the prize estimate card, revealing a substantial $40,000—far surpassing the $14,007 she ultimately received.
Viewers watching from their living rooms couldn’t fathom the outcome, expressing their discontent to Wheel of Fortune about Megan’s seemingly unjustly deemed incorrect answer.
“The woman got screwed on #WheelOfFortune bonus puzzle tonight; she totally said ‘PINK ORCHID’ right at the start,” one viewer complained
“I asked the judges from the first thing she said!! I’m deaf in one ear, and half remaining on right, so I use captions and lip read. She said ‘Pink Orchid’!! No question!!,” defended another fan.
“I am FUMING!! She got it; she said pink orchid! Wtf?!” exclaimed a third person.
“Hey @WheelofFortune I heard the contestant say “pink orchid” at the beginning of that final puzzle & rewound it to make sure. You owe her some $$$,” demanded one irritated viewer.
“Okay @WheelofFortune if you play tonight’s episode once again for the final puzzle, the one that just aired, you will hear clearly that she said ‘pink orchid.’ You did not properly credit the winner. Go and play it back. Seriously she said exactly that! Pink Orchid!”
Amidst the controversy, Wheel of Fortune faces mounting criticism from fans for apparent slip-ups, including a recent dispute over a rhyme during an Express round. The audience erupted on Jan. 22, as the show seemingly fumbled an answer in the “Rhyme Time” category.
In the unfolding debacle, two contestants found themselves stumped, but Jill, a third contestant, cracked the puzzle by guessing two “y’s,” forming the rhyme: “Absolutely Positively.”
Fans ardently contested the decision, arguing that “Absolutely Positively” does not constitute a rhyme.
“Hey @WheelofFortune,” one viewer wrote. “Care to explain how these two words rhyme Because they absolutely positively DON’T.”
