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'Wheel of Fortune' player misses out on Finland trip and $45,000 because of an unusual phrase

"$45,000 and Finland missed... we need a winner tomorrow. No more losing streaks..." a fan reacted.
UPDATED JAN 14, 2026
Vanna White and contestant Shibby on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant Shibby on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" is running a special wedge edition where the contestant gets to win a grand exotic vacation during the Bonus Round. In a recent episode, Shibby, who earned $28,098 in cash and a Mediterranean coastal adventure tour with Colette, failed to win an additional bumper trip to Finland. She chose the "Food and Drink" category but was unable to guess the bizarre puzzle, leaving fans disappointed over the continuous bonus round disasters. 

Wheel
Ryan Seacrest and contestant Shibby on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune) 

Shibby collected $1,000 right from the beginning after clearing the First Toss-Up category, which was "Thing," with the answer "Inspirational Quote". She aced the Second Toss-Up category "Happy Hour," with another $2,000 win after guessing "Grilled Shrimp" as the right answer. In Round 2, she faced the category "Crossword," with the clue "Say Cheese." Shibby solved it correctly by guessing "Brie, Blue, Feta, Provolone" and won $4,400. For the Prize Puzzle category "What Are You Doing?" she solved "Screaming At The Top Of My Lungs" and snagged a Mediterranean coastal journey through Spain, France, and Italy with Colette, valued at $13,998.

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

The Triple Toss-Up revealed the category as "FYI" (initialisms), with each worth $2,000. Shibby solved two and collected $4,000. She guessed "Most Valuable Player" and "Laughing Out Loud." She advanced to the bonus round with $28,098. Unfortunately, no family member or friend was cheering for Shibby during the final round, and host Ryan Seacrest missed out on the adorable introductions. She then chose "Food and Drink" as the category. After receiving the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, Shibby went for M, D, K as additional consonants and A as a vowel. 

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

"Fried. Fry. Oh, it's not fried," she fumbled and couldn't guess the correct answer, "Cubed Honeydew" within ten seconds. Shibby was thoroughly embarrassed when Seacrest revealed she had lost $45,000 and an additional grand trip to Finland. Shibby's total winnings for the episode were $28,098 in cash and a Mediterranean coastal holiday. Fans remained upset with the string of losses. "I thought the first word was baked, but the fact that it wasn’t threw me off on both words," @lunamelody2025 complained. "$45,000 and Finland missed... we need a winner tomorrow. No more losing streaks..."@justinhall9231 added. 

Wheel
Ryan Seacrest and contestant Shibby on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune) 

"Yea that was a budget mode puzzle for the second night in a row. No one is getting this without the right letters called," @Matthew6418 lamented. "Shibby did well in the main event, winning $28,098. However, despite BR having MDKA as his letter combo, She was once again caught up in the alphabet misunderstandings, losing his trip to Finland and $45K. This pattern this week is foreshadowing a terrible skunk week," @sy-kd6km pointed out. 

You can watch the disappointing moment here

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest checks for earpiece after contestant pulls off impossible feat

A 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant almost had her $6,750 'vanish' mid-game in bizarre TV moment

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses out on additional $40,000 prize because of a single word

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