'Wheel of Fortune' fans feel bad for contestant who lost $40,000 because of a tricky puzzle
The viewers were sympathetic to the player, Vandana Patel, after her heartbreaking loss.
Sept. 18 2025, Published 9:45 a.m. ET
"Wheel of Fortune" fans don't spare any contestant who fumbles a chance to win big despite facing an easy puzzle. But at the same time, they have sympathy to offer for those who genuinely gave it their best shot. One player named Vandana Patel, got support from fans when she failed after trying her best to crack the Bonus Round puzzle. The contestant who fought her way to the final round was stumped by a tricky puzzle, and an unfortunate choice of letters cost her $40,000. The host, Ryan Seacrest, and the viewers at home had nothing but words of consolation for her in the end.
Patel was off to a rocky start as her competitor, Nadeaua, took the early lead by solving the first few puzzles in the Toss Up round. However, in the Express Round, Patel made a strong comeback to win $10,500 and win a trip to the Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys worth $8,350, according to Andy Nguyen's blog. She kept fighting through the next few rounds and emerged as the big winner of the night with a total of $20,600 in cash.
After advancing to the Bonus Round, Patel chose the category, "What are you wearing?" for her final puzzle. Alongside Seacrest at the wheel, she brought her mother, daughter, and husband to the stage for support. After picking out his Golden Envelope, she was faced with a short two-word puzzle on the board. With the show's standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E," on the board, Patel went on to choose "D, M, H, and A" as her additional letters. However, the letter picks did not give her many clues as the puzzle read, "_ H _ T E _ L _ _ E S."
As Seacrest started the ten-second timer, it seemed like Patel was onto something. "White. White plate. White, it's white. Oh, white," she said as she tried to solve the puzzle. However, she couldn't get the other word in time and lost the round. Co-host, Vanna White, then uncovered the answer, "White Gloves." "You were right on it. You were so close," Seacrest said before revealing that she had lost out on winning an additional $40,000.
"You were so much fun," Seacrest said to the player in the end, as Patel shrugged off the loss. Even viewers at home were sympathetic to the player's heartbreaking loss. "Hey! She tried. It's not surprising if everyone won at the bonus round," wrote one fan, @jeremyy9188, in the comments of the show's YouTube clip.
"Don't worry, Vandana, I was stumped too. I got the first word, but not the second. That's alright, you're a winner regardless. $20K is nothing to sneeze at. Great job!" added @Garrison_the_Barbarian.
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