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' contestant loses out on $40,000 in bonus round as fans blame 'tough' puzzle

Fans also share some tips that could've helped Bain win the bonus round but it was too late.
PUBLISHED JUL 1, 2025
The contestant struggling to solve the puzzle (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
The contestant struggling to solve the puzzle (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" fans are very invested in the way things turn out for contestants, and they're heartbroken when someone loses out on a big prize. But when contestants kept losing out in the bonus round for 19 straight games, people grew frustrated and even blamed the puzzles. The losing streak started with a contestant named Corrina Bain, who lost out on taking home $61,000 due to a tough bonus puzzle. At the end of the round, viewers in the studio and at home groaned at the flight attendant's heartbreaking loss.

Screenshot showing the moment of loss (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the moment of loss (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

Bain was off to a flying start in the game after solving the first few Toss-Up puzzles to take the early lead. While her competitors tried to catch up, only Leinen came close by winning the Prize Puzzle and a trip to Hawaii, as reported by TV Insider.

The three players went on to solve one puzzle each in the Triple Toss Up round, but in the end, Bain emerged as the big winner with a total of $21,800 in cash. She then advanced to the Bonus Round and chose the category, "Phrase" for the final puzzle.

Screenshot showing Bain at the wheel alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Bain at the wheel alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

Bain was joined by her "brunch crew," which included her mother, her boyfriend, and her mother-in-law. She then spun the wheel alongside Seacrest, who picked out the Golden Envelope for her. With a chance of winning up to $100,000 or a brand-new car, Bain was faced with a four-word puzzle. With the show's standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E" on the board, she chose "H, D, M, and I" as the additional letters to get more clues. With everything on the board, the puzzle read,  “_ _ _ _     IN     THE      D_ _.”

Screenshot showing the Bonus Round puzzle (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the Bonus Round puzzle (Image source: YouTube/Wheel Of Fortune)

With only a handful of clues on the board, Bain looked puzzled before the clock started ticking. She took her time to figure out the answer and could make only one guess, "Made in the day" within ten seconds. “You were on the right track,” Seacrest said, as co-host Vanna White revealed the answer, “It was ‘Back in the Day.'” Even the studio audience let out a loud groan after the phrase was revealed. To add to the heartbreak, Seacrest flipped the golden envelope, revealing that Bain had lost out on winning an additional $40,000.



 

Viewers at home expressed their disappointment as well in the YouTube clip of the Bonus Round. "Tough puzzle, but good game. Just the same," one fan named @nathanieljourat6723 wrote. "This puzzle has been reused from like 10 years ago," suggested another viewer called @milotickz. Meanwhile, some fans shared a bit of advice as well, which could have helped Bain solve the puzzle."I would've said... ABCD, and I would've got it still. BAC_ N T_E DA would've been that," @robertclimate1563 explained.

While the loss was heartbreaking, the contestant stayed calm, unlike another contestant named Justin Orr, who left the host puzzled with his wild pig call in the middle of his introduction.

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses out on $40,000 after picking terrible choice of letters

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant wins bonus round after 'insane' string of bad luck had fans on edge

'Wheel of Fortune' viewers relieved as player breaks streak of bonus round losses after 19 games

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
While the player was overwhelmed with emotion, host, Drew Carey was left hanging for a handshake.
6 hours ago
Turns out, the guest's father was the renowned artist, Demetrios Jameson.
8 hours ago
While the player, Rodney Flippen took the loss on the chin, fans were left heartbroken.
1 day ago
Harvey was stunned to see that Lisa would risk her marriage to get the top answer.
1 day ago
The outbreak has been linked to four deaths, and 19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
1 day ago
The President and CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillion expressed that AI will "literally change every job."
2 days ago
While the seller was confident that the instrument was ever so valuable, Harrison begged to differ.
2 days ago
The 54th season of the show has begun with a brand-new game, but fans fear it could be rigged.
3 days ago
The guest had absolutely no idea that the Ching Dynasty snuff bottle could be worth so much.
3 days ago
While Corey Harrison tried his best, the seller had other plans and stuck to it.
5 days ago
Harvey warned the contestant that she may be in a situation she can't handle.
6 days ago
In the end, the expert adviced the guest to put the item on a pedestal for the future.
6 days ago
Fans debated if the player got the correct answer in time, or if the judges the right call
7 days ago
While the comedian/host's answers were barely intelligible, Harvey didn't miss a beat to roast him.
7 days ago
When a player expressed her desires for Harvey, the host was more than happy.
7 days ago
While the seller was confident that his items were 100% authentic, Rick Harrison wasn't so sure.
Sep 25, 2025
While some players made the host feel good, others were not so nice to him.
Sep 24, 2025
It seemed like Harvey knew what the consequences of "telling your wife to shut up" are.
Sep 24, 2025
The guest was astonished to learn that his father's $100 watch was worth thousands of dollars.
Sep 23, 2025
Nevertheless, the contestant Christine Seminerio walked home with nearly $40,000.
Sep 23, 2025