'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses $75,000 on 'tricky' puzzle — fans say they solved it in seconds
A "Wheel of Fortune" contestant got blasted by fans online after missing out on winning $75,000 on a seemingly easy Bonus Round puzzle. The player, Kenneth Blount-Hames, who made it to the finale with a margin of only $100, looked set to take home the big prize. However, he was stumped by a common phrase, "We Have That In Common," in the end, which cost him dearly.
In the episode, Blount-Hames from Charlotte, North Carolina, went up against Darren Thornton from Manassas, Virginia, and Jamella Baker-Bey from Nicholasville, Kentucky. Both Blount-Hames and Thornton got off on a winning note, but the former managed to take a sizable lead in the PR Round after solving the prize puzzle for $16,000 in cash and a trip to the Boston Harbor Hotel, according to Andy Nguyen's blog.
However, Thornton mounted a strong comeback in the Mystery Round and racked up $16,750 in cash and won a trip to Las Vegas. In the final rounds of the initial gameplay, the two contestants fought hard to advance to the Bonus Round. In the end, Blount-Hames emerged as the big winner with $18,850 in cash, while Thornton ended up with $18,750. With just a $100 margin, Blount-Hames advanced to the Bonus Round and picked the "Phrase Category" for the final puzzle.
Even the host, Ryan Seacrest, was on the edge of his seat during the night as he said, "That was a close one. You made it by $100 to get here. Kenneth, we're going to go for more right now," before spinning the wheel. After picking out his prize envelope, Blount-Hames was faced with a long five-word puzzle on the board. With the show's standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, E," on the board, he went on to choose "W, C, D, and O" as his additional letters. His letter picks didn't turn out to be great as the puzzle read, "WE _ _ _E T_ _T _N CO _ _ ON."
While the phrase was nearly clear, when Seacrest kicked off the ten-second timer, Blount-Hames looked stumped. As the clock was ticking, he couldn't yell out a single guess as he couldn't figure out the words in the middle. In the end, co-host Vanna White uncovered the correct answer, and to add to the player's heartbreak, Seacrest revealed that he had lost out on taking home an additional $75,000.
While Blount-Hames was quite upset with the big loss, fans in the comments section of the show's YouTube video did not go easy on him with their words. "The RSTLNE was already enough for me to solve it," wrote @darklite18, implying that the puzzle was easy. "I figured that out in about six seconds," added @ChiSportsNut18. Meanwhile, some did mention that the puzzle was tricky. "I solved it after the extra letters. Tricky one for sure. Also needed an A, though. M is great. That 75,000 loss was a downfall," explained @robertclimate1563.
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