'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's kids heartbroken as they won't get a dog after her $40,000 loss

Making it to "Wheel of Fortune" is a dream come true for a lot of people, and having loved ones cheering for them in the audience makes the experience even more special for contestants. The show has seen players getting engaged, spouses coming closer, and people giving a shoutout to their kids as well. Some of them even like to celebrate wins with their parents on air. But in the case of a contestant called Kyla, her sons were left heartbroken after her loss in the bonus round, since they wouldn't be getting a dog, according to a report in The Express.

The player revealed that when she got the chance to be on "Wheel of Fortune," her husband said that they could get a dog if she won. Pat Sajak, who was excited when Kyla reached the bonus round, jumped the gun and told her kids that they were getting a dog. But then Kyla lost out on the opportunity to go home with $40,000, and her three sons were let down.

Kyla was still happy that she was going home with more than $14,000, but fans pointed out that she was doomed from the beginning of the bonus round. They pointed out that her choice of letters was terrible to begin with. While speaking to Maggie Sajak, Kyla said that her husband might still have to get a dog as America will hold him accountable.

In case of another player Linda Keyes, even her win in the bonus round was bittersweet because of the absence of her mom, who was a "Wheel of Fortune" fan. She bagged $77,000 and shared how she fulfilled her mother's long-standing dream. Speaking to her local news station, Shaw Local, Linda Keyes dedicated her win to her mom, who sadly passed away before her episode aired.

Keyes took the early lead by solving a few puzzles on the fly. Going into the Mystery Round, Keyes had already racked up over $18,000 in cash and an exotic trip to Italy, as per Andy Nguyen's blog.  In the end, she emerged as the big winner with a total of $25,148, the trip, and a Wild Card.

Keyes faced a long four-word puzzle. With the show's standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E," filled in, Keyes chose  “D, G, H, O, and C” as her additional letters. With everything on the board, the puzzle read,  “_OR_ _NG _RO_ND THE _ _RD.”

With the clock ticking, she slowly said, “Working around the yard!" and then jumped up and down as she knew she got the answer. “You got it!” Seacrest said as the answer was revealed. To add to her joy, he flipped the prize envelope that had $40,000, taking her total to  $77,546.

After her dream win, Keyes dedicated her appearance to her late mother. She told Shawn Local that she first auditioned for the show years ago but didn't get a chance. Finally, in season 42, she got a call from the show, and she was lucky to share the news with her mother. However, her episode was taped in fall 2024, which was the same season her mother died. “Mom, we made it to Wheel,” she said on the show to pay homage to her. 

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