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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant mocked for losing out on $10,000 prize over one simple letter

"She blanked out. It happens to the best of us," a fan sympathized with the player.
PUBLISHED JUL 9, 2025
The puzzle that was almost solved (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune)
The puzzle that was almost solved (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" contestants can sometimes pull off surprising wins by solving extremely tough puzzles, but there are episodes when even the silliest mistakes have cost players big prizes. This is exactly what happened with Khushi, the young player committed a silly verbal gaffe and became an instant victim of trolling. Khushi had to guess just one letter to win herself a luxurious trip worth $10,000 to Antigua. She chose the food & drink category, and the puzzle board read, “FRE_H TROPICAL FRUIT.” Anyone at his point would have guessed the right letter “S.” Unfortunately, Khushi, in her absent-mindedness, chose the letter "G."

“Solve it or spin it, or… but do something quickly,” seasoned host Pat Sajak egged her on. However, she changed her mind last-minute and decided to take a spin. Khushi then landed on the $650 mark. “I’ll go with a G,” she said as Sajak stared at her in disbelief while the buzzer went off, indicating the player had given the wrong answer. Khushi's blunder caused chaos among the live audience, and they collectively sounded a “What?!” in exasperation. The puzzle was then passed on to Juliana, the second contestant, who instantly filled in the blank with an "S" and won the round. Khushi ultimately lost the 'Teen Week' with her blunder, and the answer turned out to be "Fresh Tropical Fruit", according to TVInsider.



 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single audience member audibly have such a violent reaction on Wheel of Fortune, as this lady did when a poor contestant called a G in 'Fresh,'” an ardent viewer of the coveted game show tweeted along with the viral moment. The video has since garnered over 1.2 million views on X. "Why did it take so long for S to not even be called tho? Asking the real questions here," @stitchkingdon asked. "Sajak trying his best to reasonably explain that wrong guess to the home audience lol," @jburneyko pointed out. "She blanked out. It happens to the best of us," @Fitotheman sympathized with Khushi. 



 



 



 

In another episode, a contestant named Ben Tucker couldn't solve the given puzzle and labeled the game unfair because of the bizarre phrase. He chose the category 'Fun & Games' and the answer ended up being "Taking a quick jog." Tucker didn't take his loss well and complained, “Well, see, I don’t consider jogging fun and games,” he said. “Oh, well, there you go,” Sajak coldly reacted to the player, according to Huff Post. “That wasn’t bad,” Sajak added when Tucker failed to realize his mistake and tried to convince the audience that the puzzle was indeed a mistake.


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune)


 

The official Instagram page shared Tucker's concerns with a hilarious caption, "He has a point." Fans instantly sided with the player in the comments section, and Tucker's views were validated. "I agree. Category should have been 'what am I doing?'” @chefroc exclaimed. "Taking a quick jog is NOT fun and games. I hate to ask this, but, writers, what are you thinking?" @natemarroquin1994 commented.

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses $100,000. Then, Pat Sajak got called out for how he reacted to it

Wheel of Fortune player wins $67,000 with an unexpected move — even Pat Sajak was speechless

Pat Sajak tackling a 'Wheel of Fortune' winner on live TV still remains a truly bizarre moment

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