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 wins $120,000 after a surprising mishap changed the whole game

As it so turned out, a crucial ruling from the judges led to a BIG win for the player.
PUBLISHED APR 2, 2025
Screenshots showing the moment after snafu happened and the puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshots showing the moment after snafu happened and the puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

Since Ryan Seacrest took over the hosting duties from the legendary Pat Sajak, he has produced many great moments and quite a few goof-ups on "The Wheel of Fortune." Most recently, a snafu from the host nearly cost a contestant named Keith Upton $100,000. Luckily for the player, the judges of the show stepped in to save the day. 

Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

 

In the March 27 episode, Upton, from San Diego, California, went up against fellow participants Clare Antoine and Dhaina Grubb. Upton bonded with the host early on over their shared love for coffee and clothing. The player started off with a flyer, solving the first puzzle and earning a Wild Card right off the bat. While his fellow competitors tried to catch up to him, Upton maintained his lead by solving more puzzles, winning money and a grand trip to Barbados.

By the end of the initial rounds, Upton emerged as the big winner with $20,730 in cash. Meanwhile, the other two contestants could only get $18,000 and $1,000 after the initial rounds of the game. Thus, Upton went on to play the "Bonus Round" with a chance of winning a brand new Ford car or up to $100,000.

Screenshot showing the player alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the player alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

For the final puzzle, the player picked the “Event” category. He was joined by his wife, Havilah, on stage, who cheered him on as he took on a three-word puzzle. However, the game did not start off smoothly for the player, as the host encountered a problem early on in the round. As Upton spun the wheel, the marker landed on the edge of the apostrophe and A, and the host couldn't decide which envelope to pick. “Well, that’s interesting. It has never happened to me. Do I go this way or this way, judges?” the host asked. He finally got the message to go with the apostrophe, which turned out to be crucial for the game in the end. 

Screenshots showing Ryan Seacrest's dilemma (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshots showing Ryan Seacrest's dilemma (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

“That was a first for me," Seacrest noted before proceeding with the game. With the standard letters "R, S, T, L, and E" filled in, Upton chose “C,H, D, A," as his additional letters and a "B” as his Wild Card consonant. With everything on the board, the three-word puzzle read, “THE B_ _  _ _NALE.”

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

Before the ten-second timer kicked off, the player looked quite confident. Without wasting a second, he yelled out “THE BIG FINALE” as his answer, which turned out to be correct. To add to the player's delight, Seacrest went on to reveal that he had won an additional $100,000 from the golden envelope, which essentially the judges picked out for him. As confetti fell from the ceiling, the player celebrated the win by hugging his wife. “That was incredible! When did you know it?” Seacrest asked Upton, who shared that the "ALE" in "FINALE" gave away the answer for him.



 

In the end, Upton walked home with a grand total of $120,730 from the show. As the total showed up on the screen, he got quite emotional, and Seacrest told him that everyone understood why.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The thrift store find turned out to be quite profitable for the seller named Kimberly.
16 hours ago
The creator showed proof that the store jacked up the price of an item by $3 during a sale.
1 day ago
The contestant, Linda Rivera failed to crack a seemingly easy phrase in the finale.
1 day ago
Fans couldn't believe that the player chose to miss out on such a good opportunity.
1 day ago
Host Drew Carey had to point out how loud the viewers were before the emotional victory.
2 days ago
While the guest got a massive appraisal for her grandma's ring, she was clear on her stand.
2 days ago
While some blamed the tough puzzle, a few were disappointed with the player, Rob Schwandt.
2 days ago
The player was a bit too excited for the trip and so was her husband in the audience.
3 days ago
The player, Ashton Hildebrand when on to win the showcase for prizes worth over $52,000.
3 days ago
The guest, Jad managed to bring a deal back from the dead and get exactly the amount he asked for.
3 days ago
While some players played it safe, others destroyed their marriages on the show.
3 days ago
Harvey was sure tha the player, Darren didn't want to be on the show at all.
4 days ago
The unexpected collaboration aims to solve a long-standing home surveillance issue.
4 days ago
The co-founders of Y'all Sweet Tea blew away the Sharks with their incredible numbers.
5 days ago
From his lips to his bald head, Harvey has to defends all sort of jabs.
5 days ago
The woman who gifted the painting to the owners had earlier sold it to another dealer as she couldnt sleep at night.
7 days ago
When it came to naming something of Harvey they would want to touch, the players didn't hold back
7 days ago
Rick Harrison's go to expert warned him not to touch it with a "10 foot pole."
7 days ago
The massive manufacturer has been operational for more than a hundred years now.
Oct 5, 2025