'Wheel of Fortune' Contestant Loses $1 Million and Dream Trip After Flubbing Simplest Puzzle
Another Wheel of Fortune contestant has been added to the growing list of players to incorrectly solve a puzzle. Micki from Louisiana wasn't the first to incorrectly guess a puzzle, but her wrong answer during a recent episode of the long-running game show not only cost her $1 million but also a dream vacation to Croatia.
Micki's turn on the wheel of misfortune, so to speak, came as she attempted to solve a puzzle with just three missing letters in the "Thing" category: "A ROARING FIRE IN THE FIRE _ _ A _ E." Micki, who had already landed on the $1 million wedge, as well as a vacation to Croatia, earned some groans from the audience and disappointment from viewers online when she asked long-time host Pat Sajak to put an "S" on the board, prompting the incorrect-answer buzzer to sound and Sajak to break the news, "You got the reaction. No 'S,' I'm sorry."
The mistake quickly caught the attention of viewers, who were quick to point out the correct answer to the puzzle, "a roaring fire in the fireplace." On Twitter, one person wrote, "Getting angry at Wheel of Fortune. Just another Friday night." Several fans couldn't help but note the long list of incorrect answers on Wheel of Fortune, one person writing, "Wheel of Fortune poll...Worse flub in recent memory... A) Fregh...B) Fireplace... I'd go B since it changed the entire game," referring to contestant Khushi, who was just one letter away from a trip to Antigua when she incorrectly solved the board that read "FRE_H TROPICAL FRUIT." Other recent mistakes include a contestant on the March 1 episode who incorrectly guessed "w" instead of "x" on a puzzle that was supposed to read, "Warm toasted bagels with lox and cream cheese."
Micki can possibly take some solace in the fact that she is far from the only contestant to miss out on $1 million. In a video posted to Wheel of Fortune's TikTok page shortly after the episode aired revealed that just three contestants have ever won the $1 million prize. A contestant can compete for $1 million in the bonus round only if they land on the $1 million wedge during regular gameplay, solve the puzzle, and win the game. Wheel of Fortune premiered on television in 1975, with Sajak taking on hosting duties in 1981. Co-host White joined Sajak in 1982. The pair have renewed their contracts with the show through the 2023-24 season.