'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses in bonus round but makes stellar comeback to win $44,000

A streak of losses in the bonus round has left "Wheel of Fortune" contestants frustrated, but sometimes a comeback story is all that the viewers need to lift their spirits. Something like that happened with Benjamin Hunter, who lost $40,000 in the bonus round but also bagged $44,000 from other games, so that his wife wasn't disappointed. "All right. Who is here with you? Benjamin," Ryan Seacrest probed, to which Hunter responded, "My beautiful wife, Kimberly." After spinning the wheel, Hunter chose the category 'Person'. 

"We'll give you the rstl n and the e. Now take a look at that. Need three more consonants and just one vowel," Seacrest said as the puzzle board displayed the usual letters. Hunter then chose G, C, M, and I. Once they were factored in, the board showed _,_,M,_,_,S S,_,_,R,_,N_. Hunter did his best to answer the complicated puzzle within the stipulated 10 seconds. "Sporting, calm. Sporting," he muttered. "I don't know how to get there without some more letters," Seacrest added. "It is 'famous soprano,'" the host then revealed as Hunter stood disappointed.

Fans were thoroughly disappointed to watch Hunter's choices, "Why do people pick person as a bonus round category? Always pick a phrase if it is available. Still, what a comeback that was, so great to see him pull in all that cash!!! Ryan's enthusiasm was great to see too," @sonofgildorluthien wrote on a Reddit thread. "Never ever pick 'person'," @thelemon8er-2 added. "I mean the fact is that they are all phrases - no matter what you pick - the answers are no longer Master Plumber or Kitchen Sink - it’s always some strange way to say something - guess they ran out of normal stuff," @sallystarr51 reasoned. 

However, Hunter didn't lose it all, since he had, in fact, won $44,000 earlier in the game, as per TVInsider. Hunter went bankrupt twice after first landing a whopping $1 million wedge and later losing $5,200 for guessing the wrong letter during a puzzle round. However, he made a superb comeback during the Triple Toss Ups and final puzzle, he scored $2,000 by answering correctly to a toss-up. Later, luck sided with him when he successfully guessed two “R’s,” three “S’s,” and two “C’s and solved “Surprising Conclusion,” winning $42,000 and his total climbing to $44,000.

“Look at you!” the host added after witnessing the contestant's comeback. “Coming into the end there, you’ve got no money. Then that one tossup and then all of a sudden $44,000,” Seacrest said. “I love this show so much. The way you can come back like that.”

Maggie Sajak was left impressed with Hunter's win, so much so that she called him in for a quick behind-the-scenes interview. "Oh my goodness! What just happened?" Sajak reacted. "My wife, I couldn't leave without winning one game for her," Hunter blushed. "This one is the best comeback I have ever seen!" Sajak said calling Hunter's unexpected romantic gesture for his wife "sweet." Hunter confessed that he still couldn't wrap his head around the win after facing bad luck in the beginning. But he admitted to staying focused and concluded that it was up to his wife what she wanted to do with the winning cash prize.

It's not like contestants have to face disappointment only on "Wheel of Fortune." On "American Idol," also hosted by Ryan Seacrest, a runner-up's anticipation about the results was spotted on his face by fans.