'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest's jaw drops as contestant solves puzzles in seconds to win big

"Wheel of Fortune" fans have been frustrated seeing good players failing to get past tough puzzles in the bonus round, but some contestants amaze them with exceptional skill. One such competitor not only left the fans stunned with her lightning-quick puzzle-solving skills but even caught host Ryan Seacrest by surprise. The winner, Carmetta Wells, made her mark by solving the toss-up puzzles in a second each. Going into the Bonus Round, she kept her momentum up and cracked the puzzle in no time to win $40,000, leaving the host with his jaw dropped.

Initially, Wells battled her rival Nease to take the lead, as the two started off on equal footing. However, a catastrophic puzzle blunder changed the direction of the game when Nease lost out big time. She attempted to solve the puzzle, "New York Cheesecake cake," but she guessed, “New York Cheesesteak,” which was outrageously incorrect.

The response allowed Wells to jump in with the correct solve, to win an exotic trip to the Conrad New York Downtown, and a Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest VIP experience worth $8,000, as per TV Insider.

She kept winning and went on to nail every single puzzle in the Triple-Toss-Up round and completed a stunning one-letter solve on the way as well. In the end, she emerged as the big winner of the night with a total of $28,250. Advancing to the Bonus Round, she chose the category, "Phrase" for her final puzzle.

After picking out her Golden Envelope, Wells was faced with a four-word puzzle. With the show's standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E" filled in, she chose "M, D, Y, I," and an extra letter "H,” using her Wild Card. With everything on the board, the puzzle read, “I  H _ _ E   _ N  I D E _.”

As soon as Seacrest kicked off the timer, Wells didn't waste a second to call out the correct answer, I Have An Idea". As she celebrated, Seacrest revealed that she had won an extra $40,000, which gave her a total of $68,250 cash, plus the trip. "That is great. You solve the puzzles so fast, Carmetta," Seacrest exclaimed after hugging the winner. 

"I can’t wait to celebrate with you in Times Square for New Year’s,” the host said to the emotional Wells. Fans at home were equally stunned by Wells' performance. "Way to go, Carmetta! You solved that puzzle in a flash! I knew what it was when I saw all the clues! Happy Birthday almost! And have a Happy New Year as well! Also have a good time with Ryan Seacrest in New York!" wrote @jamesmcilwee8939 in the comments on YouTube.

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