ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

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

It's not easy to get puzzles right on the show but sometimes, the show is graced by pure genius.
PUBLISHED JAN 27, 2025
Screenshots showing the contestant with host Ryan Seacrest on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshots showing the contestant with host Ryan Seacrest on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Game show hosts are meant to keep the audience engaged with their witty takes and hilarious reactions, but sometimes even they are left stunned when contestants on a roll grab the limelight. On a recent episode of “Wheel of Fortune”, Ryan Seacrest had to check for hidden earpieces on a contestant named Traci after she got a seemingly impossible puzzle correct with her first attempt. Even the audience in the studio and co-host Vanna White were left in awe at her impeccable puzzle-solving abilities which truly are commendable.

It was the bonus round of the evening and Traci had been provided with the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. She had chosen the phrases category but those letters only revealed two spots on the phrase. She then went on to choose M, C, D, and O as her three vowels and one consonant. After this “T_E_ _O ___ __C_” showed up on the screen

Screenshot showing the contestant and the incomplete puzzle on
Screenshot showing the contestant and the incomplete puzzle on "Wheel of Fortune" (Image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

It seemed like a tough task but Traci figured it out in an instant and confidently said, “They go way back.” That was the correct answer and Seacrest was in shock. That’s when he walked all around the contestant looking for a hidden earpiece or any other device that might be helping her. The host then revealed that she had won $50,000, bringing her grand total of the day to an incredible $78,650.

While the studio audience was impressed, fans in the comments section of the YouTube video also hailed Traci for making it look so easy. “One of the most impressive bonus round solves I've seen for this season,” a user @rayanhasan7251 wrote. “Now THAT was an amazing solve - kudos to Traci,” @utubethumbsup quipped. “Impressive solve Traci congratulations on a spectacular 50k win,” @Animegamespublishing added.



 

While it was an impressive feat, it wasn't the first time a contestant got a seemingly impossible puzzle right in the bonus round. On one occasion, the contestant named Autumn made it to the bonus round and she was given R, S, T, L, N, and E before choosing four consonants and one vowel.

Autumn chose M, P, C, A, and G but it didn’t do much to open up the puzzle. She had chosen the ‘things’ category and after these letters were revealed, “T__G_ __R___T” showed up on the screen. The host back then was Pat Sajak, and he acknowledged that it looked challenging but much like Traci, Autumn made it look like a walk in the park. “Tough workout,” she said and it turned out that was the correct answer. The host could not believe it as he could only express his shock by saying, “What?!”



 

Even Vanna White had her arms in the air in celebration. It was one of the most incredible moments in the show’s long and storied history. What’s even more epic was that the contestant had won $1 million just by getting that puzzle right.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
While some tried to figure out what it was, others were annoyed.
21 hours ago
The new scam is sending out letters with bogus toll-free numbers that connect to scammers.
22 hours ago
When Harvey heard a relatable answer, the memories came rushing back to him.
1 day ago
Gas prices have been one of the bright spots of the U.S. economy, and the outlook for 2026 is here.
1 day ago
The player, Jenane who tried hard to ace the Cover Up game was overwhelmed with emotion
2 days ago
On Christmas day, the contestant, Paul pulled off a win with the tiniest of margins.
5 days ago
This tech giant is betting on the next primary computing device for the world.
5 days ago
This marked the second time this week a player lost out on the $100,000 prize.
6 days ago
Turns out Harvey was just trying to help out a player get some points.
6 days ago
Host Ken Jennings accepted an answer despite an error that most found unacceptable.
6 days ago
The U.S. district court judge's ruling comes ahead of a verdict on tariffs by the Supreme Court.
7 days ago
The player, Erica Sciuto picked all the letters that she needed to win.
7 days ago
While the host comically tried to hide the mistake, the prop was clearly on the floor.
7 days ago
Harvey wasn't prepared to hear some of the answers, at all.
7 days ago
Starting January 7, about 7,000 defaulters are set to receive notices from the Education Department.
7 days ago
Even the host, Ryan Seacrest was surprised to see the good player lose out.
Dec 24, 2025
Walmart has deployed several AI-powered tools to deliver a smooth shopping experience.
Dec 23, 2025
The warehouse retailer is making a layout change, which may dictate how long customers wait for checkout.
Dec 23, 2025
Retailers including Best Buy, Kohl's, Macy's, and more will charge a fee on returns.
Dec 23, 2025
Hearing the answers, Harvey wondered how the team that won the question got so far in the game
Dec 16, 2025