'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses $45,000 even after coming painfully close to solving a puzzle
Fans of the show were shocked she was not able to get it right after coming so close.
Oct. 17 2025, Published 8:45 a.m. ET
"Wheel of Fortune" fans have been dealing with the frustration of seeing several contestants crashing out in the bonus round. It happened yet again when one contestant was not able to solve a puzzle despite coming painfully close to the correct answer in the bonus round. Fans of the show could not believe that the contestant did not get it right, and the disappointment was even clearer in host Ryan Seacrest's voice.
The contestant was named Linda Rivera, and according to a TV Insider report, she had played an incredible game leading up to the Bonus Round, winning $26,026 in cash and prizes, which included a trip to Amsterdam Manor in Aruba worth $9,376. Rivera had her husband, Mickey, on stage to support her.
Rivera gave the wheel a strong spin, and it stopped on the ampersand. She had chosen the ‘What Are You Doing?’ category and, as per the rules of the show, was given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. The contestant now had the chance to pick three more consonants and one more vowel. She chose the letters M, B, C, and I. These letters were all decent choices as the puzzle opened up quite well.
It now read, “M I _ I N _ T _ I N _ S _ _,” and the contestant had 10 seconds to get it right. As soon as her timer started, she said, “Mix something things up.” Rivera understood the last two words but had trouble guessing the first. She guessed mining, missing, and messing, but neither one of those was correct. Ultimately, her time ran out, and she did not have a definitive answer.
It was then revealed that the correct answer was ‘Mixing things up,’ which came as a huge disappointment, as it was almost the first thing she thought about. “Oh, you were right there,” Seacrest said. He then opened up the envelope to reveal that the contestant could have won an additional $45,000.
Fans of the show were shocked that Rivera could not give the correct answer, and they made their feelings known in the comments section of the clip on YouTube. “This was one of those easy solves for me. I thought she would solve that puzzle in a heartbeat,” one fan commented. “Her first guess, 'mix something things up'... I can't believe she couldn't figure it out after that,” quipped another.
“This was so painful to watch 😂 She might be the only contestant to say all the words and not get it. Still a winner though, so congrats!” a viewer added.
Watch the game in the full video here.
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