'Wheel of Fortune' fans disappointed as contestant walks away with the lowest prize

"She was the worst player/lowest scoring this evening otherwise," a fan reacted.

PUBLISHED DEC 12, 2025

Vanna White and contestant Beth Atkins on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune)

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant named Beth Atkins was left clueless after a tricky puzzle during the Bonus Round cost her $40,000. She aced the earlier rounds to reach the total of $17,499 and also won a luxurious vacation. However, the last round caught her off guard, and she ended up walking away without any cash prize. Atkins easily solved the First Round - Crosswords - Reindeer Blank puzzle titled "Nose, Games, Ornaments" and won $1,950. She then entered the Third Round, where she had to solve a Song Title - "Just What I Needed. Atkins was in luck because she won a 10-day adventure through Switzerland courtesy of Rail Bookers, valued at $10,799. Her total winnings then jumped to $12,999.

She then completed the Final Spin - Under the Tree by solving the "Ribbons and Bows" puzzle and secured her spot in the Bonus Round. Before the big Bonus spin, her husband and two older grandchildren greeted her from backstage. "My wonderful husband, Barry. And then my grandson, Nolan. And my granddaughter, Eleanor," Atkins introduced them to host Ryan Seacrest. "Now you have how many grandkids?" the host asked, amused. "11", Atkins replied. "How'd you two make the cut?" Seacrest added in a light-hearted banter.

"We're the oldest," the children quipped. "What do you call her?" Seacrest continued the fun. "Mee Ma," the children said in chorus, referring to their grandmother.

Atkins chose the "Phrase" category. After receiving the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, E, she added the letters C, M, P, O. She got the traditional 10 seconds to solve the puzzle, but fumbled trying to guess the right answer. The puzzle board looked P, _, _, _, O, _, R,O,_,N,_,_,_. "Put your own off. Put your own. All?" she mumbled. Unfortunately, not all the guesses fit into the blank spaces, and the time ran out in the blink of an eye.

Despite her efforts, she is unable to solve the phrase "Pay Your Own Way". Although she didn't win the bonus prize, she still took home $17,499, and the host encouraged her and Barry to enjoy their trip to Switzerland. Fans remained disappointed after another contestant lost out in the Bonus Round. "I got the puzzle right without hesitation, thanks to "P" & "O's" with Pay Your Own Way & if Beth would've add it "Y's" then she would've got it," @jacobwilson6192 complained. "I don't mind when people lose who only make it to the bonus round by solving the prize puzzle and getting that dollar amount added to their total. She was the worst player/lowest scoring this evening otherwise," @loveforeignaccents chimed in.

"That Y would have definitely helped immensely. P was a darn good pick, as was the O, but without that Y, it was going to be very tough," @BrakusJPSGameShows pointed out. "Tough bonus puzzle. I can't believe Phrase was chosen. Let's win it tomorrow to break the curse," @myles-spikewebby8519 added.

You can watch the nerve-wracking round here.