'Wheel of Fortune' contestant was confident she could win bonus round — it didn't end well
The contestant faced a tough puzzle and she was not prepared for that at all.
Oct. 24 2025, Published 3:30 a.m. ET
Winning the bonus round on "Wheel of Fortune" has become a rare feat, and anyone would be elated to achieve that. But sometimes getting too excited during the game could later bring embarrassment. Things got a little awkward for one contestant, who claimed that she was going to be victorious in the Bonus Round, only to be left utterly confused by a rather difficult puzzle.
The contestant was a woman named Cherie Noisette, as per a TV Insider report, and she had won $21,350 on her way to the Bonus Round. When host Ryan Seacrest said that she must do a watch party for her episode, the contestant said that it was already happening. When asked how she thought it was going to end, Noisette said, “Me, winning. Us hugging.”
The contestant then introduced her aunt and her two cousins, who had come to support her on the show. Noisette then went on to spin the wheel, and it landed on the star. She chose the ‘Phrase’ category and, as per the rules of the show, was given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. She then picked letters D, M, H, and A.
These were not bad choices, but they did not do much to open up a lot of the puzzle. It now read, “_ _ND _ _ A_ _ _ARD.” Noisette had 10 seconds to get it right, but it was not to be. She understood the third word was ‘awkward’ but struggled to figure out the first two. In the end, she knew that she was not going to get it right and said, “Awkward,” right before the timer ran out.
Seacrest revealed that she was on the right track as the correct answer was ‘Kind of Awkward.’ He then opened up the envelope to reveal that the contestant could have taken home an additional $40,000. That really would have shot her total prize money up. However, with $21,350 in the bank, the contestant wasn’t too disappointed. The host commended her for a good try at getting the puzzle right, which was seemingly quite tricky.
Fans of the show shared their opinions about the defeat in the comments on YouTube. “I was thinking “kind of” from RSTLNE, and then I solved it when her letters came up 🥳. She won a lot, but it’s too bad she didn’t solve the final puzzle,” one fan wrote. “Well, that is kind of awkward how every contestant didn't win the bonus round,” quipped another. “Needed her picks and about 5-6 seconds. That was a toughie IMO,” one more viewer mentioned.
Watch the video of the awkward game here.
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